Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi, also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was an expert Japanese swordsman and rōnin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent and unique double bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 60 duels. He was the founder of the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū or Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship and in his final years authored The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and...
NationalityJapanese
ProfessionSoldier
CountryJapan
In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness.
You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.
If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything.
Do not regret what you have done
The spirit of defeating a man is the same for ten million men. The strategist makes small things into big things, like building a great Buddha from a one foot model.
Too much is the same as not enough.
When you have attained the way of strategy there will be nothing that you cannot understand. You will see the way in everything.
In all forms of strategy, it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday life and to make your everyday stance your combat stance.
See to it that you temper yourself with one thousand days of practice, and refine yourself with ten thousand days of training.
Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited or over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.
Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.
A man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study.
To become the enemy, see yourself as the enemy of the enemy
Even if you strive diligently on your chosen path day after day, if your heart is not in accord with it, then even if you think you are on a good path, from the point of view of the straight and true, this is not a genuine path. If you do not pursue a genuine path to its consummation, then a little bit of crookedness in the mind will later turn into a major warp. Reflect on this.