Miyamoto Musashi | The Path of the Loner

At the age of fifteen, Miyamoto Musashi undertook “musha shugyō,” which means “warrior pilgrimage.” During this time in his life, he traveled the country practicing his skills independently and participating in a series of duels. After receiving ronin status, he encountered the most challenging opponent he had ever faced, Sasaki Kojiro, and killed him. After this event he gave up performing lethal duels. He eventually retreated to a cave where we wrote down his knowledge and wisdom for later generations. Musashi's written works expand on the “way of the warrior,” which is the samurai way of discipline, concentration, restraint, and honor.

The

path

of the warrior is governed by moral and ethical codes that are commonly called Bushidō. Shortly before he died, Musashi compiled twenty-one principles on how a warrior should live. These timeless principles known as Dokkōdō can inspire us today to live well. This three-part series delves into the twenty-one principles of Musashi's Dokkōdō. The first and second parts explored the first fourteen principles. This third and final part further explores the

path

of the warrior, based on the last seven principles. Please note that the elaborations in this video are based on existing philosophies, interpretations and reasoning of the author, and are intended to be an inspiration for today's life. 15) Do not act following habitual beliefs.

When we observe human behavior, we see the characteristics of a herd animal. Many people slavishly follow the norm, not necessarily because it is the best thing to do, but because everyone does it. Musashi was aware of the dangers of blind obedience and probably experienced the lack of skill of the leaders of his time. These could be the leaders of the so-called Ko-ryū, which is a Japanese school of traditional arts, but also politicians and even the emperor himself. When we carelessly follow customary beliefs, we waste our common sense, our capacity for rational thought, and, in some cases, our morality in the process.

Just because something is the norm doesn't mean it's not bad. We can find countless examples of this in history, in which people collectively engage in evil, convinced that what they do is somehow justifiable. The events of World War II illustrate that people who blindly follow the dominant narrative are capable of doing horrible things. Another example is the general attitude towards drinking in Western culture. While narcotic use is frowned upon, alcohol consumption is institutionalized and considered acceptable, fun, and social, although its effects can be as destructive (if not, even more so) than narcotic use. It is so normalized that it is the only drug we have to justify not taking, even though alcohol consumption contributes to approximately three million deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization.

Therefore, habitual beliefs are not always the best guidelines. Musashi, who has lived as a ronin and as a hermit, spent a lot of time separated from society and its norms. One of the benefits of this solitude is that it protects us from external influences and allows us to observe the world from a distance. This makes it easier to independently decide what is beneficial for our lives and what is not. 16) Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful. Miyamoto Musashi carried a long sword and a short sword; not because he wanted to show off his weaponry, but because he was skilled at fighting with two swords, and carrying two swords was the “way of the warrior.” In The Book of Five Rings, Musashi explains that each weapon has unique characteristics.

The Companion Sword, for example, is preferable in tight spaces or when you are close to your opponent, unlike spears and halberds which are better used on the battlefield. So, although there is a wide range of options and functionality when it comes to weaponry, Musashi advises us not to collect or practice with weapons beyond what is useful. We can see this as a metaphor for everyday life. One of the traps that many ambitious people fall into is that they don't stick to the essentials to get the job done. They engage in unnecessary activities, make unnecessary investments, spend unnecessary amounts of time “networking” with people without doing any meaningful process.

The inability to clearly define what we need to achieve our goals and continue doing what needs to be done is a recipe for failure. Sometimes this involves ruthlessly eliminating items that, despite their inherent value and usefulness, are useless in the context of our search. However, Musashi also maintains that we should not become too attached to a particular form or method either. Samurai practiced with a variety of weapons, from swords to clubs, and knew the skills and characteristics of each weapon they used, making them flexible fighters who could be deployed in different types of battles. I quote: “You shouldn't have a favorite weapon.

Becoming too familiar with a weapon is as much a defect as not knowing it well enough. You should not copy others, but use weapons that you can handle correctly. It is bad for commanders and troops to have likes and dislikes. These are things you must learn thoroughly.” End of quote. So, being successful is a delicate process, and Musashi seems to point out the middle path between having a lack of concentration and being too obsessed and attached to one thing. 17) Do not fear death. The awareness of death was an essential part of being a samurai. Sword students were trained to fight duels to the death.

Subjugated to relentless practice, they were prepared to fight battles and routinely face death. “Broadly speaking,” Musashi stated, “the Way of the warrior is the determined acceptance of death.” End of quote. Truly accepting death means not fearing it. And when we do not fear death, we will not give in when our lives are threatened in battle. Thus, on the battlefield or in a duel, the acceptance of death is empowering. But what about everyday life? Although most of us are probably less likely to have our skulls crushed with a long sword compared to those who lived in 17th century Japan, death still lurks in the shadows wherever we go.

Life is not a fairy tale. We all die and could die at any time. However, many of us let the fear of the inevitable create unnecessary anxiety. This is unfortunate because as long as we are alive, we are not dead, so it in no way hinders us. But when we are dead, we are not alive and we simply do not know what it is like, so we cannot judge whether it is bad or not to die. Maybe death is the portal to something much more pleasant than life, maybe not. But if death simply means the absence of life, then at least we are freed from all the sufferings of life.

Soon; There is no point in worrying about death because we don't know what it is. 18) Do not seek to possess property or fiefs for your old age. It may be clear by now that Musashi was a minimalist. He lived for honor, victory, honing his skills and contributing to humanity by sharing his wisdom. He fought duel after duel, knowing that he could die under the sword of his opponent. He tells us not to seek to own property or fiefdoms for our old age. Today, this could mean sacrificing our time and energy in exchange for possessions, money, and investments that we can enjoy when we are old.

He doesn't say we shouldn't worry about old age at all. Knowing his life, I would say that Musashi, despite repeatedly walking the edge between life and death, was quite concerned about the future, including the possibility of longevity. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cared about honor or leaving a legacy. So to find a deeper meaning behind this lesson, we may want to turn again to Buddhism for philosophical substance. The Buddha is not against acquiring wealth, as long as we acquire it in a healthy way and use it for good. But chasing wealth takes a lot of effort and can exhaust us and even destroy our overall health and well-being.

So while there is nothing wrong with wealth, we may wonder if achieving it is the best pursuit available. Instead, we may want to invest our lives in developing the mind. In Musashi's case, this quest was embodied in the perfection of his swordsmanship. But there are other ways available that could potentially be much more satisfying and reliable than wealth accumulation. Instead of trying to reach old age as wealthy as possible, a Buddhist might focus on developing a sense of contentment with the present moment. Because if we can be content with little, we can retire with a small pension. 19) Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on his help.

Following Buddha as a spiritual teacher or believing in God (or other deities) does not mean that we are not responsible for our own lives. There are many religious and philosophical opinions about why we exist on this planet. Some say that we are here to serve God or various gods, others say that our lives are nothing more than a cosmic joke and that our existence is completely useless. Some claim that the course of our lives is written in the stars, others claim that we have free will and that our lives are not predetermined. Whatever the truth, we are still confined to what our senses perceive.

When we look at the nature of human existence from our own point of view, we see that we have agency. Furthermore, we are responsible for what we do and do not do. Now, what Fortune gives us is beyond our control. But we do control how we handle what Fortune (or God, for that matter) presents us. This human ability to choose is an inherent part of most religions. Christians have their Seven Virtues, Muslims have their Five Pillars, and Buddhists have their Eightfold Path. All of these guidelines and precepts imply that it is up to us to choose the right path, despite the circumstances.

We may then pray to a deity for help, hoping that this will change the unwanted circumstances. But does it really work that way? We'd better not count on it. A much better investment is to focus on our own strength, wisdom and resilience, to be able to face the current situation, no matter how terrible. At the end of the day, we are responsible for our own lives. 20) You can abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor. The path of the warrior is that of honor, meaning that preserving honor is more important than preserving one's life.

But honor is a complicated and subjective concept, which differs from culture to culture. The Roman Catholic missionary Francis Xavier was one of the first Westerners to visit Japan, where he arrived in the year 1550. He described how the Japanese valued honor, as well as war and weapons. They felt superior to all nations in, and I quote, “military glory and valor and honored everything related to war.” End of quote. More recent stories tell us about the spirit of Bushido of the Japanese soldiers who fought during World War II, for whom dying for the Emperor was the greatest honor.

However, surrendering to the enemy was considered an act of cowardice. I quote: Those who had surrendered to the Japanese, regardless of how bravely or honorably they had fought, deserved nothing but contempt; They had lost all honor and literally deserved nothing. End of quote. Ultimately, how we handle honor depends on personal and cultural preferences. If we think that honor is more important than life, then it is worth dying for. But if we don't care about honor, we would probably prefer to live by preferring to preserve it. According to Musashi, however, the value of honor surpassed life and death. 21) Never stray from the path.

The path of the warrior is one of extreme determination, in which there is little room for deviation. Musashi's path was the path of the sword, to which he devoted himself completely and transcended everything else, including life and death. Now, the degree of commitment of those who walked the path of the warrior can be considered “extreme,” looking at it from a modern Western point of view. Today, true commitment seems rare, as most of us are consumers in a throwaway society, going from pleasure to pleasure, rather than choosing a more difficult path of sacrifice and moderation in the service of a higher goal; even if this higher goal might be the quality of our own life and well-being.

But still. If we really want to do something, something meaningful, we have to commit to a certain degree. It is difficult to do serious work if we are not dedicated. This applies to business, relationships, creative projects, or a spiritual path. It applies to mastering any skill, from cooking to playing an instrument; but also to overcome bad habits and addictions. Musashi's life is a testament to what we can achieve if we commit ourselves fully and sincerely to a goal, in his case: sword fighting. Musashi fought in over sixty duels, many ofwhich went to death, and all won.

Furthermore, he left a legacy for centuries to come and is honored to this day. Thanks for watching.