The "TAO" of Solitude

Dokkōdō: The Way of Solitude

A few days ago on Facebook I found and shared a picture of one of my childhood hero's Shinmen Musashi Fugiwara No Kami Genshin. Also know as Miyamoto Musashi, "RONIN OF THE WORLD".  Click here to watch a documentary of his life on YOUTUBE.


Early on in my interest in self defense I came upon an article of Morehei Ueshiba the founder of Aikido who reached enlightenment through his martial arts training. What was this "enlightenment" that they spoke of? Being raised to this point a Roman Catholic with 8 years of Catholic school (eventually 12 years total) the concept was completely foreign to me.



As my interest and dedication to the martial arts grew, I continued to read Black Belt Magazine. Often there was historical fiction of the life of Musashi, who was the first martial artist to attain enlightenment through his training, though with the aid of the mysterious Zen Buddhist monk, Takuan Soho.

I was later to find another swordsman Yamoka Tesshu who also attained enlightenment via the martial arts.  A big difference between Tesshu and Musashi was that Musashi lived and trained during a time of war and used his training in 6 major battles and killed many men as well as winning 60 duels. Tesshu who we can more relate to lived in a time of peace, when the martial arts were used for personal and physical development, not life and death battles.



During Musashi's latter years he spent much time alone in the cave, Reigendo, meditating and writing his life's work, the legendary book on the martial arts, The Book of Five Rings. Though in fact it is a book how to live ones life strategically and was based upon the forces of nature.  THE BOOK OF 5 RINGS,  GO RIN NO SHO is the Japanese equivalent to Sun Tzu's THE ART OF WAR.  Every martial artist of any metal and thousands of businessmen have read The Book of Five Rings which contains five chapters. The Book of Sky, The Book of Earth, The Book of Fire, The Book of Water and lastly, The book of nothingness, The MYSTICAL VOID.


Below is the entire final chapter of the book, THE BOOK OF THE VOID. The character for void is the same character as the character Kara in the word Karate-do:

The Nito Ichi Way of strategy (The WAY of two heavens, school of strategy, Musashi's style is Niten Ichi Ryu) is recorded in this Book of the Void.

 What is called the spirit of the void is where there is nothing. It is not included in man's knowledge. Of course the void is nothingness. By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist. That is the void.

painting of Daruma by Musashi.

People in this world look at things mistakenly ,and think that what they do not understand must be the void. This is not the true void. It is bewilderment.

In the Way of strategy as a warrior you must study fully other martial arts and not deviate even a little from the Way of the warrior. With your spirit settled, accumulate practice day by day, and hour by hour. Polish the twofold spirit: heart and mind, and sharpen the twofold gaze: perception and sight. When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void. 

Until you realize the true Way, whether in Buddhism or in common sense, you may think that things are correct and in order. However, if we look a things objectively, from the viewpoint of laws of the world, we see various doctrines departing from the true Way. Know well this spirit, and with forthrightness as the foundation and the true spirit as the Way. Enact strategy broadly, correctly and openly. 

Then you will come to think of things in a wide sense and, taking the void as the Way, you will see the Way as void. 

In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness. 

 12 day of the 5th month, second year of Shoho (1645).
Teruro Magononjo                                                    SHINMEN MUSASHI
           

my tattered copy from 1973

As you look at the photo's of my copy of the book, you can see that I've reread it countless times.  Recently while doing research I came upon Dokkodo:  The TAO of Solitude, which Musashi wrote the week before he died of stomach cancer.  It is a list of 21 rules of life for one who wishes to walk the way of the martial arts. These are the last words of an enlightened master to his students.



Below are the 21 precepts of the

 

Precepts

1. Accept everything just the way it is. 
   

   

   Immovable mind, a statue by Musashi

2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.

3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.

4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

5. Be detached from desire your whole life.

6. Do not regret what you have done.

7. Never be jealous.

8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.

9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.

10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.

11. In all things, have no preferences.

12. Be indifferent to where you live.

13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.

14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.

15. Do not act following customary beliefs.

16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.

17. Do not fear death.

18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.

19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.

20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor.

21. Never stray from the way.

References

• Tokitsu, Kenji (2006). Miyamoto Musashi: His Life and Writings. Weatherhill. ISBN 978-0-8348-0567-5. (translated by Sherab Chodzin Kohn)