Budo evolved with the Samurai with the notion of the spiritual self, and the path that we must take to self-realization.  That path has the goal of uniting mind, body, and spirit, a phrase that has become somewhat of a cliché as martial arts gain popularity.  The ideal is a strong one, however, and we cannot simply shrug this off as "just a phrase that martial arts people say".  There is much validity behind it, and we must accept this and embrace it.  This self-realization occurs only through intense conditioning, physical training and mental discipline.  The early forms of Japanese martial arts were named with the suffix jutsu, which is the idea of fighting, the art, or the style.  Bujutsu translates as "The Art of the Warrior". As they evolved, many began replacing the jutsu with the suffix Do. Do is the Way, or the spiritual path.  Budo, "The Way of the Warrior" implies a more spiritual attitude. Styles whose name ended with Do usually concentrated more on the Budo aspect, the mental training, and used their art to better themselves in their everyday lives, not just during a fight.

All of his life, O Sensei was trying to discover the essence of Budo.  He practiced many styles of martial arts, sword, spear, staff and empty hand styles.  He mastered all of the styles he trained in with amazing speed, and his masters began teaching him their deepest secrets.  After much hardship, frustration, and training, O Sensei thought that secluding himself for a while would help him discover what he'd been looking for.  He went into the mountains to find solace, and it was here that he found the spiritual awareness he was seeking.  This was not the moment that he attained enlightenment, it was simply the time when he finally understood the essence of Budo.  He realized that true Budo was not about defeat or victory, it was the protection of all life.  True Budo offers "a philosophy and a practical means to end strife and resolve conflict."  O Sensei had always had a feeling that there had to be an alternative to conflict, and now he understood what that was.  Instead of fighting an enemy, one should harmonize with him, show him the mistakes he was making, and then teach him the correct way that he should be acting.  O Sensei was unrivaled in his time, with his skill in the martial arts, and his deep religious and philosophical beliefs, and even though he went undefeated in his lifetime, he still desired peace and an end to conflict everywhere.  This idea of harmony with an opponent would be one of the key factors that led him to his realization of Aikido.

O Sensei said: "The divine path established by the gods that leads to truth, goodness, and beauty; it is a spiritual path reflecting the unlimited, absolute nature of the universe and the ultimate grand design of creation."

Learning Aikido is about more than learning how to defend yourself, it is much more than a fighting style.  In fact, many practitioners would argue that the true principles of Aikido has nothing to do with conflict, it has to do with avoiding conflict.  Through Aikido, the training and concentration, one becomes more in tune with all of the life around us, can feel the miracle of life happening all around us.  Aikido is the art of peace, the art of harmony, the art of love, this is what O Sensei wanted.  "Reform your perception of how the universe actually looks and acts; change the martial techniques into a vehicle of purity, goodness, and beauty; and master these things."