Dokkōdō: The Philosophy of Miyamoto Musashi
The first in three of a series covering the 21 precepts by legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi
Sticking with the theme of samurai from last week, today I’d like to cover the philosophy of legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi.
Musashi was renowned for his dual-blade swordsmanship and undefeated record of 61 duels. He was awarded the title of Kensei, given to those with legendary skill in swordsmanship, literally translating to “Sword Saint”. He lived from c. 1584 to 1645, and shortly before his death, completed the Dokkōdō, meaning The Path of Aloneness.
This short work consists of 21 principles, all of which I’ll cover over a course of three emails on this philosophy.
As a bit of background on the story behind Dokkōdō, Musashi was known as a rōnin - a samurai with no lord or master; literally meaning “wanderer”. In contrast to their portrayal in modern media, rōnin held incredibly low social status, as at the loss of their master, a samurai was to commit seppuku - ritual suicide - to regain their honour in death. Those who did not were outcast and disrespected.
As a rōnin, Musashi had to adapt his personal philosophy - hence, he created the Dokkōdō.
Musashi was also known for other writings, most notably the Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings), a book on Kenjutsu and other martial arts.
In this first email, I’ll cover the first seven precepts of Musashi’s Dokkōdō.
A quick disclaimer, this post will be covering my interpretation of his precepts and how they might be applied to the modern day, so take it with a pinch of salt. If you’re more clued up on this than I am, feel free to leave a comment or let me know on Instagram.
1. Accept everything just the way it is.
If you know a bit about Stoicism, you’ll see a lot of parallels between these precepts the Stoic philosophy.
One way we can see this interpreted for Musashi is in regard to death.
As a Buddhist, Musashi would have likely practised corpse meditation (It’s as grim as it sounds). This involves contemplating death, either by imagining a dead body or being with one. Buddhists argue that by repeating this practice, they come to accept death.
In Stoicism, the importance of Memento Mori, meaning “Remember that you have to die”, is emphasised, and is directly paralleled here.
Many philosophies have acceptance of reality at their core, and can be summed up by the Stoic Epictetus:
“Work with the material you are given”
This philosophy would have been important for a rōnin, to continually accept their position and path of solitude, all in the pursuit of becoming the greatest swordsman, in the case of Musashi.
For us, we can see this as accepting our reality with no emotional bias. Striving to move forwards without wishing things were different. Only by acknowledging and accepting your shortfalls are you able to make a change.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
A very relevant precept to the rōnin - never is it easier to sink deep into instant gratification than in solitude, due to the lack of accountability from others.
Musashi argues here that individuals should choose purpose over pleasure, because the gratification from a life of purpose and focus is much greater than one of fleeting pleasure.
I think this is one of the most relevant precepts for the modern day. Never has it been easier to be instantly gratified, with fast-food and unlimited entertainment available with just a few clicks. And so it is our responsibility to accept this reality (See what I did there?) and to try and abstain for our own health, both physical and mental.
Instead of focusing on the pleasure we can get today, we should focus on the things that truly matter to us - just like how Musashi abstained from hedonism to perfect his swordsmanship.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
This principle is of essence to a warrior. Overdependence on emotion, be it anger, fear, recklessness - will lead to defeat in battle against an enemy with a clear mind.
This is at the core of many philosophies like Stoicism, and can still be applied today.
In his book Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman describes the dichotomy of thought - System One, being impulsive and irrational, and System Two, being rational and logical. I mention this because this presents the precept well - instead of relying entirely on your System One thinking, we should use our critical thinking - System Two - more, to make wiser decisions.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
Ultimately, this principle preaches humility. Rōnin would likely come to this realisation after years of solitude, seeing how their actions make little change in the grand scheme.
Humility is a principle taught in a majority of religions and schools of thought, but it’s importance and value is often overlooked.
In the words of Socrates,
“Wisest is she who knows that she does not know”
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
The Buddha once said,
“The root of suffering is attachment”
This Buddhist belief captures the idea that becoming attached to material things leads to suffering, as your basis of happiness comes from the external world, and not the internal - and so by becoming attached to anything, you suddenly become scared of losing it.
In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, we see this concept perfectly illustrated. Macbeth, after having taken the throne, becomes so obsessed with keeping it, that he is sent insane, murdering out of desperation to keep it.
It was Macbeth’s attachment and obsession with the throne, that made him go to such lengths to try and preserve it, to the point of insanity, which is ultimately his downfall.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
As a rōnin, Musashi would’ve experienced harsh judgement from others for choosing the path he has. And chances are that there were things he would regret looking back, having had to sacrifice so much to fulfil his potential.
In addition, as a human being, Musashi would’ve made mistakes, and choices he’d regret, just like you and I.
We can take this important philosophy to heart. It’s essential to understand that it’s our failures and shortfalls that make us - and so instead of looking back with regret, we should understand that it is all part of the process.
No guts, no glory. No pain, no gain. Only with mistakes and failures can you grow, and so instead of repenting them, be grateful for them and for what you have learned from them.
7. Never be jealous.
For those like Musashi, having sacrificed so much for his growth, it’s easy to become jealous of others, because they’ve had it easier, or simply because they’re further along than you.
But jealousy is self-destructive. It can lead to overexertion in a literal and metaphorical sense.
I can vouch for this one myself - having been slower to progress in the gym than my peers, there have been periods where I’ve done what’s known as ego lifting - essentially, where you lift more than you can handle to impress others.
So, as in the first precept - accept where you are and be grateful for the progress you have made. Don’t compare yourself against others who have put in more time and energy, or simply had an advantage you could do nothing about. This is particularly important to understand in the modern day, as social media makes us compare ourselves to the idealised versions of others who may have more than we want.
Instead, look to improve your craft rather than feeling bad because someone else can do it better.
Conclusion
A lot to unpack from just seven lines!
But I hope you’ve enjoyed this one and look forward to the rest.
How do you interpret these precepts? Have you ever experienced anything to do with them yourself?
Let me know on my Instagram, or drop a comment below
がんばってね!
- Tom
Sources:
https://einzelganger.co/miyamoto-musashi-the-way-of-the-ronin/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyamoto_Musashi#Ni-Ten_Ichi_Ryu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C5%8Dnin
Cover Image:
Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miyamoto_Musashi_killing_a_giant_nue.jpg
DISCLAIMER
The content provided in these posts are designed to be educational and informative. I am not a medical doctor, psychologist, therapist, nutritionist, or registered dietitian. The contents of these emails should not be seen as medical, psychological, dietary, nutritional, or healthcare advice of any kind. Always consult a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health.
About point 3, I'm not sure whether the comparison to system 1/2 really sticks. It's not like swordfighting is a rational thing, though that doesn't mean it's irrational either. It's intuition, instinct, and that's neither rational nor irrational.