It is difficult to know yourself if you do not know others. To all Ways there are side-tracks. If you study a Way daily, and your spirit diverges, you may think you are obeying a good way, but objectively it is not the true Way. If you are following the true Way and diverge a little, this will later…
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Miyamoto Musashi
Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵, c. 1584 – June 13, 1645), 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 (next is 33 by Itō Ittōsai). 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 (五輪の書, Go Rin no Sho), a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today. 2Biography 3Birth The details of Miyamoto Musashi's early life are difficult to verify. Musashi himself simply states in The Book of Five Rings that he was born in Harima Province. Niten Ki (an early biography of Musashi) supports the theory that Musashi was born in 1584: "[He] was born in Banshū, in Tenshō 12 [1584], the Year of the Monkey." The historian Kamiko Tadashi, commenting on Musashi's text, notes: "[...]Munisai was Musashi's father...he lived in Miyamoto village, in the Yoshino district [of Mimasaka Province]. Musashi was most probably born here." His childhood name was Bennosuke (弁之助). Musashi gives his full name and title in The Book of Five Rings as Shinmen Musashi-no-Kami Fujiwara no Harunobu (新免武蔵守藤原玄信). His father, Shinmen Munisai (新免無二斎) was an accomplished martial artist and master of the sword and jutte (also jitte
To know ten thousand things, know one well.
Do not sleep under a roof. Carry no money or food. Go alone to places frightening to the common brand of men. Become a criminal of purpose. Be put in jail, and extricate yourself by your own wisdom.
Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of Man.
It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet.
Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.
If you wish to control others you must first control yourself.
The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them.
Do nothing that is of no use.
Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.
Become aware of what's not obvious.
Understand the harm and benefit of everything.
Can hardly become a master at martial arts unless you can see the immediate in a broad context.
Become your opponent... Consider a burglar in a house. You see him as powerful, he sees himself as trapped hopelessly.
It is essential to make your ordinary bearing–the bearing you use in martial arts. And make the bearing you use in martial arts your ordinary bearing.
The idea is to keep a serene expression.
Be aware of opponents' sword, Yet not look at the opponents' swords at all. This takes work.
Calmly yet powerfully tighten your bearing.
You have absolute resolve, wait for them to slacken, overcome immediately with force–AND WIN.