The multiple states of being are arranged hierarchically along the vertical axis that runs through the centre of them all. And the descent of peace into the heart takes place along this vertical axis: this is the manifestation of the Activity of Heaven.
Every element of the Universe is analogous to all other elements, and when the Aikido practitioner channels energy along the vertical axis, they behave, in their own small way, just as the Universe behaves.
Thus, because Aikido requires tori to execute techniques from the vertical axis, it acts for the individual as a revealer of one aspect of the universal archetype.
The morote dori demonstrated in this video is an example of this:
Every Aikido technique, beyond its martial value, must be understood as a symbol of a transcendent reality. The practice of Aikido is a ritual that allows man to reproduce, within the microcosm constituted by his movement, the movement of the macrocosm, the movement of the Universe. This is Kagura Mai, the sacred dance of which O Sensei spoke.
The centre of the cross upon which the feet of the Aikido practitioner move is the pivot of the norm, the pole, the point where all oppositions are reconciled and resolved; it is the Centre of the World. The Centre of the World is not in any given geographical location; it is wherever balance is achieved, and at all times. Eastern tradition calls it the Invariable Middle, Aristotle the Unmoved Mover, Islamic esotericism Es-Sakînah, the Divine Station; for Buddhists it is Nirvana, and for Christians it is the Kingdom of God which, as everyone knows, is not outside us.
Aikido is not a sport.
