At fifteen, a young warrior named Miyamoto Musashi embarked on a solitary pilgrimage, a quest to sharpen his skills through relentless training and duels. As a masterless samurai, a Ronin, he navigated a path of constant challenge, culminating in a profound duel that led him to renounce the warrior's life in a conventional sense. He then retreated to seclusion, a cave becoming his study, where he distilled a lifetime of experience into wisdom for posterity. His writings offer a profound look into the Way of the Warrior, the samurai's disciplined approach to life. Just before his passing, Musashi laid down 21 precepts, a timeless code for living a worthy existence. We now explore the final seven of these powerful principles, seeking their resonance in our contemporary world.

Beyond the Crowd: The Courage of Independent Thought

Human behavior often reveals a tendency to follow the herd. We conform to prevailing norms, not always because they are best, but simply because "everyone else is doing it." Musashi recognized the pitfalls of such blind conformity, likely observing flawed leadership in various spheres of his time. Unthinking adherence to conventional beliefs can dull our common sense, impair rational thought, and even erode our moral compass. History shows that collective acceptance of an idea, when followed without question, has often led to regrettable outcomes. Even normalized societal habits, if unexamined, can carry significant downsides, reminding us that common acceptance isn't always the best guide. Musashi's periods of solitude offered him a vantage point away from societal pressures, fostering clearer, independent judgment on what truly serves our lives.

The Essence of Tools: Mastery Over Collection

Miyamoto Musashi famously wielded two swords, not for show, but from a deep understanding of their combined utility—a practice integral to his Way. Different weapons possess distinct advantages: a short sword excels in tight spaces, while spears are suited for open battle. Despite the array of weaponry available, Musashi cautioned against collecting or training with implements beyond what is truly essential. This principle extends beyond combat. Many ambitious individuals get sidetracked from their core objectives by engaging in superfluous tasks or making unnecessary investments. Failing to identify and adhere to the essential path is a common route to unfulfillment. This sometimes demands setting aside things that, while valuable, do not serve our specific aspirations. However, Musashi also warned against rigid attachment to a single method. The aim is a balanced engagement—focused, yet adaptable, understanding that over-familiarity can be as limiting as ignorance.

Embracing Mortality: The Strength in Acceptance

An awareness of death was deeply woven into the samurai's existence. The warrior's path, according to Musashi, involves a resolute acceptance of mortality. To truly accept death is to cease fearing it. When fear of death is overcome, one can stand firm, especially when life is on the line. This acceptance breeds strength. While our daily lives may differ vastly from 15th-century Japan, death remains an omnipresent reality. Life is finite. Many allow the fear of this inevitability to create undue anxiety. This is counterproductive. While alive, we are not dead; what comes after is unknown to us in our current state. Worrying about death is futile; if it is an end, it is also an end to suffering.

Wealth and Wisdom: Investing in Enduring Value

Musashi, a figure of profound insight, invested in humanity by sharing his wisdom. He faced duels with the knowledge that any could be his last. His counsel against striving excessively for property or land solely for old age speaks volumes. In a modern light, this prompts reflection on sacrificing present vitality purely for accumulating material wealth for later enjoyment. This isn't a call to disregard the future, but rather to question an obsessive focus on material security over a life of meaning and honor. Buddhist philosophy offers a compatible view: wealth earned honorably and used well is not inherently bad, but its relentless pursuit can be draining. Musashi’s focus was perfecting his art. Many paths offer deep fulfillment, perhaps more reliably than material gain alone. Contentment with less can offer its own kind of security.

Faith and Self-Reliance: Honoring the Spirit, Trusting in Self

One might respect spiritual figures or acknowledge higher powers, drawing on various frameworks to understand our place in the cosmos. Regardless of the ultimate truth about destiny or free will, from our human viewpoint, we possess freedom of action and are accountable for our choices. What fate might bring is often beyond our direct influence, but how we respond is within our power. This capacity to choose is a cornerstone of many ethical systems. We can offer prayers, hoping for intervention. Yet, it is arguably wiser to focus on cultivating our inner strength, wisdom, and resilience to navigate life's challenges. Ultimately, we bear the responsibility for our own lives, and focusing on our own capabilities is a sound investment.

The Sanctity of Honor: A Value Beyond Life

The Way of the Warrior is intrinsically a path of honor. This implies that preserving one's honor can be more critical than preserving life itself. Honor, however, is a multifaceted concept, often shaped by cultural context. Early Western visitors to Japan noted the profound value placed on honor, military glory, and valor. Later accounts also describe a spirit where dying with honor was paramount, and losing it was seen as a profound disgrace. How we regard honor hinges on our personal values. If honor is deemed supreme, it might be considered worth sacrificing for. For Musashi, the significance of honor appeared to transcend even life and death, forming an unshakeable foundation of his being.

Unwavering on the Path: The Power of True Commitment

The "Way" Miyamoto Musashi followed was one of extraordinary determination, allowing little room for deviation. For him, it was the Way of the Sword, a pursuit to which he dedicated himself completely, valuing it above all else. Such intense devotion might appear extreme from some contemporary perspectives, where fleeting pleasures are often pursued over the more arduous path of sacrifice and discipline in service of a higher purpose. Yet, if we aspire to achieve anything truly meaningful—whether in our careers, relationships, creative endeavors, or personal growth—profound results demand unwavering commitment. This applies to mastering any skill or overcoming detrimental habits. We must dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly. Musashi fought in over sixty duels, emerging victorious, and left an enduring legacy, revered centuries later due to this profound dedication.

References:

• Miyamoto Musashi. (Translated by Thomas Cleary). The Book of Five Rings. Shambhala Publications.
  This work is Miyamoto Musashi's own articulation of his martial strategy and philosophy. It includes the "Dokkodo" ("The Way of Walking Alone"), his 21 precepts for life, which form the basis of the principles discussed. The article's themes such as "Do not fear death," "Do not collect weapons...beyond what is useful," "Do not seek to possess...goods...for your old age," "Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help," "You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour," and "Never stray from the Way" directly correspond to precepts found in the Dokkodo (e.g., in the Shambhala 2005 edition, these precepts are listed and briefly discussed on pp. 9-12).
• Nitobe, Inazo. (1905). Bushido: The Soul of Japan. Tuttle Publishing.
  Nitobe's classic work explains the unwritten code of the samurai, Bushido, encompassing virtues like honor, courage, rectitude, and self-control. These themes resonate deeply with Musashi's principles. The article's emphasis on honor ("You can leave your body, but preserve your honor") is particularly illuminated by Nitobe's exploration of the samurai's moral framework where honor was paramount, often detailed in chapters discussing Rectitude, Courage, and the significance of an honorable death (e.g., in some Tuttle editions, discussions around pp. 67-74 and pp. 115-120 cover aspects of honor and dying honorably).
• Suzuki, D. T. (1959). Zen and Japanese Culture. Princeton University Press.
  This scholarly work details the profound influence of Zen Buddhism on Japanese culture, including the samurai ethos. Musashi himself was influenced by Zen. Concepts central to Zen, such as mindfulness, the acceptance of impermanence, and transcending the fear of death (directly relevant to "Do not fear death"), shaped the warrior's mindset. The chapter "Zen and the Samurai" (e.g., pp. 61-85 in the Princeton University Press Bollingen Series LXIV edition) specifically discusses how Zen principles provided psychological fortitude and a philosophical basis for the samurai's way of life and their calm acceptance of mortality.