“… taking position with the long sword in both hands is not the true Way. However, in times when it is difficult to strike and kill a man with one hand, you should [go ahead and] cut him down with two; it shouldn’t be something that causes you a lot of worry.” – Miyamoto Musashi

Today we share the philosophy of Japanese kensei (“sword saint”) Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) from his famous works ‘The Five Rings’ (GO RIN NO SHO), ‘Thirty-five Articles On Strategy’ (HYOHO SANJU-GO KA JO), and ‘The Path Walked Alone’ (DOKKODO) which were written between 1643 and 1645. Of the three documents, only the DOKKODO exists in its original form and in Musashi’s own hand.

The Works Of Miyamoto Musashi

Briefly on GO RIN NO SHO – Better known as ‘The Five Rings’, GO RIN NO SHO summarized Musashi’s life’s learning and was not actually written for a general audience. Rather, Musashi dedicated this text to his student Terao Magonojo, who was to carry forward Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū, Musashi’s style of swordsmanship, upon his death.

Briefly on HYOHO SANJU-GO KA JO – While not as well known as Musashi’s magnum opus ‘The Five Rings’, HYOHO SANJU-GO KA JO was written two years earlier and, importantly, shows Mushashi’s thinking and “Way” in development. Just days before his death in 1645, Musashi gifted the original text of HYOHO SANJU-GO KA JO to his brother Motomenosuke.

Briefly on DOKKODO – Musashi lived his life relentlessly pursuing his own ends: the perfection of his art. In his last days he wrote down a list of twenty-one simple dictates for living an independent life such as his own, a distillation of the hard-earned wisdom he had acquired through his years of living the life of a wandering warrior, which he titled “The Path Walked Alone.”

Quotes From Miyamoto Musashi

Quotes are excerpted from “The Five Rings – Miyamoto Musashi’s Art Of Strategy: The New Illustrated Edition Of The Japanese Warrior Classic”, published by Chartwell Books in 2016 and featuring a translation by David K. Groff.

Autonomy

“Through swordsmanship alone, it is difficult to attain the true Way – from large things you must understand the small, and from the shallow you can arrive at the deep.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Preparing These Writings On Strategy In Five Scrolls

“… the mind becomes like water: water takes on the shape of whatever it fills, be it angled or round, and can be a single drop or a vast ocean… The mindset that overcomes one enemy, or a thousand, or ten thousand, is the same.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Preparing These Writings On Strategy In Five Scrolls

“Having one thing, to understand ten thousand – this is an underlying principle of Strategy.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Preparing These Writings On Strategy In Five Scrolls

“If… your mindset becomes slightly skewed, later it may become greatly awry – you should examine this.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Preparing These Writings On Strategy In Five Scrolls

“Make your thinking free of evil… Don’t do things that serve no purpose.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Regarding Rhythm In Strategy

“At quiet times, your mind should not become quiet… fill any places where your mind is lacking, but do not allow it to become overfull at all.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Water – Mindset In Strategy

“Your mindset should not be affected by your body, nor your body by your mind… in battle, even when everything is in chaos, your mind in unshakeable” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Water – Mindset In Strategy

“When your opponent attempts to use a technique against you, allow him to do things which are useless; things which will be useful, stop them before he has begun and do not allow him to continue – this is one of the most important things in strategy.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – The Three Kinds Of Initiative

“… the major ‘models’ and standards in the world, seen together, are all the biases of individual minds and, based on these distortions, go against the true Way.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Emptiness

“In general, when your sword is close enough to a person to hit them, that person’s sword, too, is close enough to hit you. If you intend to strike a person, you must forget your own body.” – Part 2 – HYOHO SANJU-GO KA JO, On The Assessment Of Intervals

“Now, you should avoid allowing the mind to become fixed anywhere, and strike where [the enemy] comes out. This requires extensive investigation.” – Part 2 – HYOHO SANJU-GO KA JO, On “Moving The Form”

“… having absorbed the principles of strategy into your body, you come to see the opponent as the troops, and you yourself become the general, not giving the enemy even the slightest freedom, not allowing him either to swing his sword or thrust with it. Realizing that everything submits to your intent, you should make it so that the opponent cannot even conceive a tactic in his mind. This is an essential thing.” – Part 2 – HYOHO SANJU-GO KA JO, On The Teaching Of ‘The General And The Troops”

Liberty

“Ordinary people usually take one of four paths through life: that of the farmer, merchant, warrior or artisan.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Regarding The Way Of Strategy

“… when you lay down your life, you want to make use of all your implements, without leaving any unused. Not to make use of a weapon, and to die with it still in its scabbard at your hip, is a truly unthinkable thing.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Naming This Particular Style “Two Swords”

Social Capital

“Looking around the world, you see the various arts being sold as commodities, and people even thinking of themselves as goods for sale, and when they make their equipment, they think of that as something to sell as well. This is like separating the flower from the fruit, with the fruit here being quite less than the flower.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Regarding The Way Of Strategy

“If you do not understand others, it is difficult to analyze yourself.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Preparing These Writings On Strategy In Five Scrolls

“If you do not get how to discern the rhythm of opposition, your strategy will never be certain.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Regarding Rhythm In Strategy

“Engage in combat with anyone and everyone, and learn their mindsets.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Water – “Direct Transmission”

“Timing… is infectious.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – Causing “Contagion”

“Devising a great number of sword techniques and teaching them to people is just a technique for turning the Way into a commodity and selling it to them, with the intention of making beginners think that when they have learned a great number of techniques, they have understood deeply. This way of thinking about strategy is to be avoided.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Wind – Very Numerous Sword Techniques In Other Styles

Sovereignty

“A general… must understand… and know the measure of his house’s influence. This is the Way of Leadership.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Comparing The Way Of Strategy To That Of The Carpenter

“Since it is by virtue of the sword that the world is controlled, and that one controls oneself, the sword is the place from which strategy begins.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Understanding The Principles Of The Two Characters In The Word “Strategy”

“… as strategy on a large scale, one wins by retaining good people, and by using large numbers of them; one is victorious by way of comporting oneself correctly, by governing the country, by nurturing the people, and by carrying out the laws of the world. On any given day, knowing how not to lose out to others, how to help oneself, and to establish one’s reputation – this is the Way Of Strategy.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Regarding Rhythm In Strategy

“When through strategy you become a creature of total freedom, you will be able to assess your opponent’s mindset well, and this will be something that provides you with many ways to win.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – Understanding The Situation

“The person who holes himself up is the pheasant, the one who goes in to cut him down is the hawk.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – Becoming The Adversary

“In large-scale strategy, surveying the enemy’s forces, attack the ‘corners’ of the sections that strike out strongly, and you will gain some advantage. As one corner falters, the whole will weaken as a result. It is essential that during this faltering you keep going after [the enemy’s] various ‘corners’, gaining the advantage that leads to victory… Also, in single-combat strategy, you should make injuries to the ‘corners’ of your opponent’s body; when his body becomes even a little weak, and takes on a collapsing form, it will be very easy to defeat him.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – “Damaging The Corners”

“Grasp the rhythm of the adversary’s unsettled mind, and determine how to take certain victory… When you perceive the signs that the opponent has become unsettled, you can defeat him freely; this is of the essence in combat.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – Unsettling

“… in times of individual strategy, when you encounter someone unskilled, or when your opponent’s rhythm is thrown off and he seems like he is going to retreat, without giving even the slightest chance to breathe, and without looking him in the eyes, crush him directly – this is essential. The most important thing is not to give even the smallest chance to recover. Investigate this well.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – Crushing

“In large-scale strategy as well, understand the number of the enemy’s forces, perceive the nature of the battlefield, know the condition of your own numbers, grasp their virtues, assemble your people and begin the battle; these are the essentials of engaging in combat.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Wind – Other Styles’ Use Of Special Sword Positions

“The gaze in strategy, broadly, is an eye that rests upon the other person’s mind. In strategy on the large scale as well, it is the eye that rests upon the condition of the enemy’s forces.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Wind – Setting The Gaze In Other Styles

Virtues

“In the practice of strategy that is the warrior’s Way, what is essential is to overcome one’s adversary no matter what, on whatever the field, whether it be in single combat or against multiple opponents, in order to achieve fame and honour for one’s lord and himself. This [alone] is virtue, in soldiery.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground

“… regarding the warrior of the samurai class, he must prepare an assortment of weapons and understand the specific virtues of each.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Regarding The Way Of Strategy

“… there is… rhythm in that which is empty… rhythms of emptiness, which proceed from the rhythm of wisdom…” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Ground – Regarding Rhythm In Strategy

“Do not allow your mind to become clouded, but make it expansive, and in this broadness you should place your wisdom. It is of utmost importance to polish both your wisdom and your mindset devotedly.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Water – Mindset In Strategy

“Honing your wisdom, you will recognize what is right and wrong in any situation, and understand the good and bad of everything… when you have achieved a condition where you cannot be tricked by anyone in the world in the tiniest way – that is the wisdom at the heart of strategy.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Water – Mindset In Strategy

“… put your hand to the sword and learn its virtues.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Water – “Direct Transmission”

“… if you take up your swords alone, judge each of your opponents’ resources, and understand their strengths and weaknesses, you will attain the wisdom and virtue of strategy.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire

“In all things, if your wisdom is powerful, you will absolutely be able to see the situation.” – Part 1 – GO RIN NO SHO, Fire – Understanding The Situation

“Think little about yourself; think deeply about the world.” – Part 3 – DOKKODO

Final Thoughts

The timeless wisdom of Miyamoto Musashi transcends the battlefield and speaks to the modern seeker of excellence in any field. His philosophy, distilled through decades of relentless pursuit of martial perfection, reveals a fundamental truth: mastery is not merely about technique, but about the cultivation of mind, spirit, and understanding. Whether facing an opponent with swords or confronting the challenges of contemporary life, Musashi’s teachings remind us that true victory comes from knowing oneself deeply, understanding others clearly, and maintaining an unshakeable yet flexible mindset. His emphasis on seeing through surface appearances to grasp underlying principles—”having one thing, to understand ten thousand”—offers a path to wisdom that remains as relevant today as it was four centuries ago.

What strikes most powerfully about Musashi’s philosophy is its integration of seemingly opposing qualities: fierce independence with deep understanding of others, unwavering discipline with adaptive flexibility, and profound wisdom with practical action. He teaches us to be like water—formless yet powerful, adapting to any container while maintaining essential nature. His warnings against becoming too fixed in our thinking, against separating theory from practice, and against losing sight of the broader purpose while focusing on technique, serve as crucial reminders in our age of specialization and compartmentalization. The warrior-philosopher shows us that true strength lies not in rigid adherence to form, but in the ability to perceive rhythm, timing, and opportunity in all situations.

Perhaps Musashi’s greatest legacy lies in his final teaching: “Think little about yourself; think deeply about the world.” This profound reversal of our natural self-centeredness points toward a higher form of existence—one where personal mastery serves a greater purpose. His life exemplified the relentless pursuit of perfection not for its own sake, but as a means to understand universal principles that govern all conflict, all relationships, and all achievement. In walking his solitary path, Musashi discovered truths that illuminate the way for all who seek excellence, reminding us that the deepest wisdom often comes from those who have tested their understanding in the crucible of real experience. His words continue to cut through illusion with the same precision his sword once did, offering clarity to those brave enough to walk their own path with equal dedication.

Thanks for reading!