This article originally appeared in the September issue of El Budoka magazine
The Way I go Alone
The greatest swordsman in all of Japan’s history was Miyamoto Musashi. Musashi lived in the 17th century and was said to have fought in at least 61 duels and was never defeated. Musashi died on June 13, 1645 at the age of 61. Upon Musashi’s death, a text was discovered that he intended for his last disciple Terao Magonojo. That text was known as the Dokkodo (獨行道) or “The Way to Go Forth Alone.” Musashi must have wanted to help Magonojo attain mastery after his death and left him this manuscript with 21 rules to live by.
Some of these rules are straight forward while others more are difficult to understand. From the point of view of an Aikido teacher, here is how I understand them.
1.Accept everything just the way it is.
To accept things as they are means to let go of our expectations of how things “should” be. Rev. Kensho Furuya Sensei often quoted his Zen master as saying, “Nandemo omoidori ni ikanai” which means “Nothing goes the way you want it to.” When we can accept our reality then we can move forward toward changing our reality.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
Pleasure in this sense means complacency. The Japanese proverb katte kabuto no o wo shime yo (勝って兜の緒を締めよ) which means “After victory, tighten your helmet.” When things are easy, they lull us into a certain complacency which opens us to being attacked. Even when times are good, we should never let your guard down.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
Martial artists are supposed to be resolute. We either do or we don’t - there is no half way in martial arts training. This is about integrity. Does what you say match what you are doing?
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
Ego is the most dangerous opponent in all martial arts. To stave off our ego, we focus on others. There is a great line in the movie Seven Samurai where Shimada says, “By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself.” The Way of the martial arts is really the Way of helping others and we can’t do that if we put ourselves first.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
Long ago, Rabbi Hyman Schachtel said, “Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” We must first appreciate what we have before we can set about on the journey to conquer the world.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
Every person makes mistakes, but only a good martial artist makes them wisely. If we regret what we have done then we are spending time in the past and not being present in the moment. A mistake is only bad if we either continue to repeat it or if we don’t learn from it. Don’t hold on to it. Learn from it, let it make you stronger and move on from it.
7. Never be jealous.
To be jealous is to envy someone and their achievements and advantages. Jealousy exists in those tangible things which exist outside of ourselves. Our true self has not need for material things but Society conditions us to acquire, accumulate and accomplish things. This competition sets us up for jealousy which clouds our ability to see the abundance we have in our own lives. This is one reason why O’Sensei does not advocate competition in Aikido.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
I think this is about the loneliness of following a Way. People who don’t practice a martial art can’t understand what it takes to follow a Way. This creates a sense of loneliness as people misunderstand us. Don’t be saddened by the separation that following one’s Way creates. We are doing something which most of the population will never understand.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
In Japanese, when something bad or untoward happens, they say, “shoganai” which means something like “it can’t be helped.” If we complain or are resentful, how will that change the circumstances? In a way, complaining or being resentful holds us back in the past which disables us from living in the future. The Dalai Lama said, “What’s past is past, nothing can change that. But the future can be different if we choose to make it so.” Only focus on what can be done right now in this moment.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
I think this is about mushin (無心) or “nothingness.” Nothingness doesn't mean that nothing exists at all but that nothing stands alone. Because nothing stands alone then all things stand together as one with a shared sense of connection, compassion and love. This is what O’Sensei means by “love” in an Aikido sense.
11. In all things have no preferences.
The monk Sengcan said, “The great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences.” According to the Hagakure, a warriors only duty is to move forward and cut. If we have a preference between living or dying then we will hesitate. To do nothing more than our duty in this present moment, then our minds need to be clear.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
Some things we can change, some things we cannot. The “place” where we live is only physical and could change at any moment. This goes along with the idea of “oneness” where man, earth and universe are holistic. In Taoism, the first principle simply states that everything in nature is all part of the same whole.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
This is not so much about food but over indulgence of any kind. In tea ceremony, Sen Shoshitsu IV writes, “The principle of harmony means to be free of pretensions, walking the path of moderation, becoming neither heated nor cold, and never forgetting the attitude of humility.” Martial artists are always supposed to live the middle way.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
We can think about this rule in terms of baggage. Baggage can be physical but it can also be mental. What we hold on to can slow us down mentally and physically. A martial artist always needs to be light and fast.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
We all should have a belief system and up to a point those beliefs need to be followed without question. However, after a certain point we need to understand and figure out if we share in those beliefs and what those beliefs mean to us.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
Another Musashi quote which might be useful in understanding this rule is “do nothing which is of no use.” So much of our lives can be lost chasing things which are nothing more than a waste of our time. Another aphorisms that Furuya Sensei loved to say was, “There is no time left.” Time is not our side, don’t waste it chasing foolish things.
17. Do not fear death.
We shouldn’t fear death but in realizing that we are going to die, that realization teaches us how to live. Most of us don’t think about our death. However, in confronting the reality of our forthcoming demise, it could help us act or live a different way. If you knew the day that you were going to die, how would we live out the rest of your days?
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
Similar to some of the other rules, we become accustomed to accumulate but what do we really need to survive? Material things are great but can be taken away from us. Relationships and skills can never be taken from us and are much more valuable and important.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
The ancient Greeks used to say, “The gods help those who help themselves.” Someone said, “Our timing isn't God's timing.” Thus, who can we really rely on? As human beings, we cannot wait around for god or someone else to improve our situation. We must be proactive but at the same time respectful.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor.
The Buddha said, “Wherever you live is your temple, if you treat it like one.” To treat our bodies well brings us honor. In treating our bodies poorly, we are usually engaging in dishonor and will not be able to use it when the time comes which also brings us dishonor. If you are the temple, then how should you treat yourself?
21. Never stray from the way.
This is probably the most important of Musashi’s precepts. Every day we will be challenged.” Sometimes we will win, sometimes we will lose. No matter what happens, don’t lose heart, never give up and never stray from the way.