21 Rules to Live Your Life – Dokkodo
Glen / 
100 Comments / 
January 19th, 2009 / 
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I came across ‘Dokkodo’ recently which is a small book written by Miyamoto Musashi a week before he died in 1645. Based on the date, I was quite amazed at how many of the following rules or principles if you like have stayed with us and are still very relevant today.
The 21 precepts below were written just as Miyamoto was giving away all his possessions in preparation for death and I think many of them still apply to our modern society and lifestyles.
I’m not one to simply copy the work of others and put it here, but in this case I believe that the precepts by Miyamoto deserve to be shared. Many of them fall into the same line of thinking that I have and the same line of teaching that I’m trying to share here.
This post is long so I recommend you scan the points and if there are any you don’t understand or want to have my views on then read the comments by me below them.
21 Rules to Live Your Life
Below I’ve included the 21 ‘rules’ from 1645 and also added my own commentary; I would love to hear yours in the comments at the end.
1. Accept everything just the way it is
I’ve already stated that I think acceptance is the way to instant happiness so I always try to implement acceptance into my life. If you aren’t accepting things then you are simply resisting what is, resistance causes internal conflict and then tends to lead to negative emotions or downward spirals.
Often things we resist are in the past i.e. not accepting that someone has died or still being angry about a previous relationship. These are things we simply can not change and that is why it makes no sense to resist what has happened. Total acceptance also allows you to live in the now and much more consciously.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake
This is one I really had to think about to start to understand. What I believe Miyamoto was suggesting here is that you should not look for pleasure simply in order to have pleasurable feelings. Another interpretation of this by the University of Minnesota suggests that it means you shouldn’t seek pleasure solely for yourself.
In my opinion, you should focus on the things that you enjoy then pleasure will exist as a byproduct, rather than pleasure something you’ve had to work on specifically in order to receive the benefits.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling
This is quite self explanatory, but, simply put; don’t act in high importance or high risk situations based on a partial feeling. It’s great to go with your instinct now and then and just ‘go with the flow‘ but when something is crucial, make sure you know what you are getting into.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world
You are who you are, nothing more and nothing less. You are not the car that you drive and you are not the size of your bank balance. It’s fine for others to think of you as funny, cool, rich or any of those things, but if you place a large importance on them and start to identify with what these words represent then you’ll start to live a much more reactive life.
Accept who you are, know your strengths and weaknesses, don’t over qualify yourself to the world but definitely don’t under estimate your potential. The world and everything in it is truly amazing, see it, explore, make the most of everything; take nothing for granted.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long
Detachment is to be disinterested in the outcome of an event or situation. Therefore, being detached from desire your whole life long means that you shouldn’t care about the outcome of the things you want in life. Worry about the outcome projects negative emotions such as fear. As with a point earlier, attachment to something means you are identifying with it, you see it as part of yourself in one way or another.
Whatever your desires are in life, don’t make the outcome necessary. If something doesn’t happen then be OK with that, realise everything in life is abundant.
6. Do not regret what you have done
I have a favourite saying for when I look back after having taken action on something that says “I’d rather regret the things I DID do rather than the things I DIDN’T do”. However, if you look at this on a presence and acceptance level, you should never regret the things you have done, simply because you can’t change what has happened.
7. Never be jealous
What reasons do you have to be jealous of anybody? If you are jealous of somebody with lots of money then you should re-frame your thinking. Be glad there are people out there that show you there is potential for you to make lots of money as well.
If you are jealous of somebody’s looks then you identify with superficiality much more than is even necessary. You never know what ‘problems’ people can have under the surface, fitting in with society standards doesn’t make you a happier person, it just makes you more socially conditioned.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation
According to the Buddha, attachment is the source of all suffering and as far as separation goes this certainly applies. Separation can apply to losing a partner, a pet, money, possessions or anything of the sort. I think what Miyamoto is referring to here is once again live in total acceptance of what happens and don’t hold on to things that have occurred previously.
You have the choice to be angry or happy at all times, there’s no point wasting time in the frame of the former. When I was mugged at knife point recently I lost my drivers license, lots of money, my credit card, mobile phone (worth over $300) and more. I was disappointed for a short while, but I was more pleased about the fact the knife wasn’t used on me or my brother during the incident.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself or others
Once again this is pretty self explanatory. Resentment and complaint aren’t going to get you anywhere in life, except to be troubled with negative emotions. Accept everything for what it is and always appreciate the moment, nothing else applies.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love
I don’t think that this means anything to do with celibacy like others have interpreted this as, but more about controlling your own destiny. If you have a good grasp on reality a.k.a. an abundance mindset then you will know there are literally billions of potential partners out there for you. I don’t believe that there is always just ‘the one’ but I believe there are many people you can connect with and love.
If you feel you want to marry someone then go down that route, but don’t let your strong attachment and emotions guide the direction of your life. Take control and enjoy lust / love on the way, don’t completely immerse yourself in their powers and detach from other areas of your life.
11. In all things have no preferences
Before you are so quick to dismiss this, think about what it is saying. Obviously we all have a preference over things such as Coke vs Pepsi or Cars vs Motorbikes but that isn’t the main message. I think the message here is not about having no preferences but rather about not letting certain preferences control your emotions.
For example, if there is a noisy party next door and you are trying to sleep then wishing there was silence (preferred) isn’t going to help. Instead, you should just accept the noise, don’t create any internal conflicts and you’ll be asleep before you know it. [Example Source]
12. Be indifferent to where you live
The word indifferent is best described as “that which does not matter, one way or the other” and in reality where you live shouldn’t make any difference to you internally. Whether Miyamoto was referring to the idea that you should travel more or the underlying fact that it was much harder to move around in 1645 I’m unsure.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food
I have a feeling that this doesn’t refer to food literally but haven’t found anyone that has yet to explain this in more detail. Maybe a copy of the book is needed or if anyone can leave a comment I’ll update this one.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need
Letting go of the things that you don’t need can give you multiple benefits. First of all you get a lot more clarity in your life (and environment) due to lack of clutter. Secondly, someone else can benefit from your possessions and put them to good use.
This may seem quite negative to the likes of collectors and those who are very materialistic but it makes a lot of sense. Also, we tend to attach ourselves to our possessions and feel strong negative emotions if anything happens to them, even if we don’t need / use them.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs
We live in a society where a large majority of people spend their time living in spectator mode, just like everybody else. We follow celebrities in the media, we play computer games and we watch a lot of TV. These are all influences on how we should live our lives and are actually a place where a lot of this ‘life’ is wasted.
Make your own life rules based on reference points, experience and with proper, truthful mindsets such as those of abundance and potential.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful
In 17th-century Japan this was a lot more relevant due swords being a commonality and the many forms of Martial Arts were in full swing. I take this message as saying ‘Don’t waste time with things (weapons) that aren’t going to benefit you‘.
Sure, there are hobbies such as fencing that involve weapons which aren’t necessarily used in this way because they are useful. People take part in fencing because they enjoy what they do. However, in terms of learning to perform skills with weapons which serves no purpose, this could be seen as protecting you from acts which simply inflate the ego.
17. Do not fear death
I’m a big preacher of living in the moment and doing things for the now, I started learning more about ‘The Now’ through the teachings of Eckhart Tolle. In his first book Eckhart states that there is ‘no such problem in the now’. In my lack of understanding, I hesitantly asked on an Eckhart Discussion Forum how the likes of having a knife in your chest could not be seen as a problem in the now.
One of the responses I received that I liked went along the lines of “Death is no different to birth, they are both natural. They are one and the same. If you fear death then that is like fearing birth.”
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age
Stated very strongly in the book ‘The Four-Hour Workweek’, we tend to try to save up our money so that we can start to enjoy life once we retire from our jobs. However, as you will discover, if you can live in the moment you will see how stupid and incorrect our societal views on this actually are.
Think about it, most of us actually do plan to save money so that we can enjoy life when we retire and do the things we love. However, this is silly because we are planning for something that:
- a) We may never reach
- b) Involves our form being in it’s worst ever condition (aging)
- c) We could be doing right now
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help
I’m not Christian or involved in any other religions so I don’t believe in the common view behind the word ‘God’. However, that isn’t to say I would judge or look down upon anyone that chooses to have belief that such Gods exist.
Respect the teachings and messages of others, but don’t use them as a crutch to keep you balanced.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour
The one thing we all have in common when we born, albeit deemed as negative, is that we are going to die. We can’t stop the aging process (although we can limit its affects through the likes of plastic surgery) and we can’t cheat death.
Despite that, this precept is saying that along the way you should always stand to live by your own moral values. Don’t change them due to pressure from others or the usual conforms of society.
21. Never stray from the Way
‘The Way’ may be viewed as something monumental like finding and acting our your life’s purpose and it may also be viewed as something small like keeping on top of your goal progress. Either way, you should always try to remain focused on the things you want to achieve and stay on that path.
There are many distractions these days with drug or alcohol abuse, financial worries and much more. However, you should simply see these distractions as hurdles that filter out those that really want to achieve something and those that don’t. Never stray from the way.
If you enjoyed this post, I would appreciate if you share it on Twitter, Facebook or Delicious!
Hi Glen,
I love this post, especially the point to “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.” Any single one of these points would result in living better… let alone living by all of them. Great find, and thank you for posting this. I’m Stumbling it right now!
Thank you Daphne, it put me a very long time to put together.
Glad you like it!
And #22, DO NOT EVER believe that anyone else has more truth or knowledge about life than you do. In other words, don’t believe that anyone else is really right about anything. Trust your own judgement. Cases in point. All the so called experts like realtors who told us that you can never lose money buying a house. All the experts that told you your best long term investment is in the stock market. All the experts that told us there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. All the experts who said that everybody should own a home. And last but not least, all the “Christian” experts who told us us that God loves Republican policy, Jesus loves you unless you don’t raise your hand in church, and that living in the now is a cult concept that will send you to hell.
Well, I partially disagree with you.
Personally I look at people profile before I judge whether they have have more truth than me. The example you have listed give example for people who are simply not truthful.
If you know someone who is truthful and expert in his field then I will question my belief in that field.
This how I grow knowledge in this life.
Personally I grew as Muslim. I left to USA at the age of 23, during my six years stay in USA away from my culture I questioned my belief.
I have applied the concept I have mentioned earlier and ended up having more belief in my religion and disagree with many things that my family taught me (which were tradition more than principles).
Still I am open to know new things (and review my belief) I have meet or read to someone who is truthful and expert.
I like the don’t hold on to possessions you don’t need. It’s like saying, don’t be a pack rat!
Know too many people this way.
Great post!
AJ Kumar
Thanks AJ, I know many people that way as well!
Had to tweet this. It has a good flavor —–
Thanks a lot, I noticed you tweet!
As I understand it, #13 is telling us not so much that we cannot seek good food, but that we should consider all food good. To consider that which we have or are given as good by it’s own rights. There are those out there who have much less, so enjoy what you have or are given, do not seek something better.
Again… this is my interpretation.
That sounds like it would align closely with the other rules, thanks for sharing your interpretation Samuel.
Personally, I’m slightly a perfectionist, so I enjoy food that is delicious, spicy, well seasoned, flavorful. I also never give compliments to the chef, unless the food was very delightful and delicious. However, I know there are others in the world who are less fortunate to choose the foods they want or desire and must rather eat to simply stay alive. But for me, I enjoy tasting new foods, flavors, and masterpieces of food. I should be a chef because of my perfectionism.
In my Opinion Precept #13 is based on the fact that we shouldn’t fall victims to satisfying our pallet, but to understanding that we eat to live, not the other way around. In today’s society many people suffer from obesity because “good food” is so accesible and much more tastier that cooking lets say vegetables or salads or leghumbes. I am almost certain that back in the 17th century many people that fancied tasty foods were mostly of a higher nobility, which in turn means that these people had very “sofisticated” lifestyles.There is truth in the fact that the more sophisticaded societies get, the less primal or primitive our instincts become. That can be a good thing, but at the same time, it holds us back from having a “survival” mentality in a sense that we step away from things because we simply dont like doing them or their taste. In my case, I came to this realization when I looked back at when I was younger and would slaughter animals for food( IE fishing/hunting etc). Now I cant even stomach the fact of killing anything lol. When you can learn to survive on what you have,to keep it simple and basic you can have more freedom to do many more things as you are not tied down to any preference (I.E. precept #11).In some cases, this precept has also been translated as “do not pursue the taste of dainty foods” which I think makes perfect sense. Be perfectly happy with scrambled eggs if you cant have Quiche lol!
Musashi himself was a big follower of the Tea rituals, the arts, the theater and many other things that enlightened the understanding of “the way” as he considered all of these mentioned to be “ways” as well.
What musashi is trying to stress here, not just about food but through the whole piece, is freedom from attachment, desire conrols people and if not kept in check, becomes negative. ie obsession, he is giving people his intepretation of how to be truly free in this world, it has nothing to do with taste!
I’m thinking that #13 means that you shouldn’t pursue the things that you like but treat all things as equal. That whether or not you like it it may or may not be the best choice, you may like to eat ice-cream but don’t you think fruit or something else you can get might be more healthy? Why satisfy your tastes with ice-cream when you can fill your stomach with the food you have within your hands?
I wholly agree with Samuel Wright.
Age old precepts, many of which hold true in todays modern world. Its all about perspective and walking the middle path.
All Good Karma and Points to live by here. Great repost Glen because I would of never been introduced to these rules.
Off topic, Glen whenever I try to submit your articles to Digg I get an error saying that your website is banned from there? Whats up with that? Would love to contribute your posts to digg!
The fact that this is still relevant today says to me that the essence of what makes humans so human, hasn’t changed since in hundreds of years, probably even from the Stone Age – Just the tools and the technology.
It’s why Shakespeare is still brilliant today – the language has changed, but the stories are no different from what you would see at the movies.
Thanks for the timeless advice
Patrick
veryevolved.com
“13. Do not pursue the taste of good food”
Looking this rule from the practical point of view of a wandering swordsmen, I’d venture to guess he means “Don’t be picky about what you eat.”
Nice post.
I think it means pursue healthy food? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having a choice for food (if you can have that choice). It doesn’t mean you’re picky.
For example, jailed cows and free-ranging cows – which beef is healthier and which would you go for. If you choose the “jailed meat” to save money, that’s your choice. If you choose the “free-ranging beef” because it’s healthier it’s also your choice.
I believe that #13 means that food should only be seen as nourishment and not as a source of pleasure.
I’ve noticed there are lots of different interpretations here, maybe I should get the book
Thanks for your comment Luis!
Luis…
The problem with that interpretation is that it is (please take no offense) too Christian, where certain types of pleasure can be sinful. Keeping in mind that these are eastern teachings, you will rarely find them teaching you that something like the food should not be used as a form of pleasure. They do, however, teach that you should be happy with what you have and not waste it. One day you may have a feast, the next only a bowl of rice. Be thankful and enjoy both.
This can also be interpreted another way, as I was thinking about this last night. If we try to hard to “Over-think” about what we are eating, then we can lose the flavor. If you taste a perfectly baked Saffron Roll with the perfect amount of honey in it, then you enjoy it for what it is. The more you analyze it and take the taste apart (pursue the flavor) the less it means to you and you detract from the the overall experience. This is not unlike life. If we over-think the little miracles in life, then they are no longer enjoyable. We need to take them for what they are.
Sometimes there is something pleasant in the unexplained.
Luis Palau is absolutely right.
#13 is obvious
dont eat food simply because it tastes good, rather than food that is good for you
put down that mickey d’s fatty and get some soup in ya!!
Again, that is possible, although a lot of food that is good for you also tastes pretty great.
Musashi is an odd lifestyle coach considering he was more famous for slicing people up… but I guess the man had it together.
Sometimes warriors make the best philosophers. Since they deal in death on a regular basis, they tend to have a seat at the same table with death and speak to it frequently.
Not sure where I got that, but I do remember reading it somewhere. I could actually picture Carradine saying something like that in the “Kill Bill” movies.
Hmmm…very interesting. I wonder does the doctor see more deaths than the undertaker?
well put Glen =)
#1 reminds me of the saying “accept wht you cannot change, or change wht you cannot accept”
#10 and 19 were confusing at first..then i read again and i respect your views..
loved #20 and #21
thumbs up on stumbleupon
Great post and stumble-worthy!
# 21 “The Way” is the “The Tao”.
#21 is a reference to the Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese bible that explains the path of non resistance.
#6 really hit home with me. It’s hard to pick yourself up sometimes when you know how much you could have achieved if you had just done things differently. But you must focus on the present and do what you can now.
I am in agreement for most of what you wrote except “#1 Accept everything just the way it is.” Although you cannot change facts or people there are JUST SOME THINGS you can’t close an eye too. For example injustice, crimes, living on drugs, etc.
There are ways to change your life, job situation, etc. Instead of accepting what you’ve been trained, you think out of the box.
A movie that inspired me is Mona Lisa Smile starring Julia Roberts, role as a teacher who wanted to change the lives of her already A++ undergraduates.
As for #10 is a good one but I would say “Love not only with your heart.”
As for #17 most people have fears of death. It takes someone who’s “seen through” life and to have achieved what he/she thinks he’s supposed to do in life to be not afraid. That person almost certainly is a monk or a nun.
Thanks for the discussion – really enjoyed your list!
Hi Kelly,
This is more about internally accepting things rather than physically / actually. So for example, if you seen someone being mugged in the street it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to help them. But if you do, it means you accept whatever happens because of that, if you get hurt yourself or the situation is still on your mind all day. Accept what happened.
Thanks for your comment
So that means “internally accepting’ and “externally accepting” are 2 different things?
Most people fear death. But even above that they fear the unknown – what MIGHT happen.
Good instincts there kelly
Re: 9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself or others:
I remember my folks telling me (when I was a kid) that I should “yield my rights” to believing the other people owed me respect. The process was that by doing this, I wouldn’t get upset when someone else did not respect or live up to my rules.
I think that’s a very good attitude Dan! I’ve bookmarked this great blog and will return!
“Handsome is as handsome does”.Great job and i had bookmarked it inorder to share the same with my friends.I really appreciate for your contribution.Thank you.
He obviously hasn’t tasted the food over at the fat duck.
~
@MyronTay hahaaaa “Once tried – can never forget!” Similarity between food and women?!! Okie, I better shut up!
great list but im kinda hung up on good food i suppose nobodys perfect:)
I think number 13 refers to not chasing after things you want but can’t have. Some people spend their days wanting a particular woman or man, and go out of their way to make a relationship happen, though it may be a lost cause. Maybe it’s just a metaphor for spending your life chasing after something that you can’t have. Instead you should be happy with what you have. Once you learn to enjoy life for what it is, and not want what you don’t/can’t have, only then can you truly love life.
This list really encompasses a lot of eastern philosophy. I am quite fond of it. I think #21 has strong ties to Taoism (also, a nice manual for living a better life) . I agree that #13 has some deeper meaning…maybe, if you don’t seek good food, all food becomes good.
Thanks for the post!!
The good food post reminds me of one of the two things written by the oracle at delphi – Nothing in excess.
On the subject of do not pursue the taste of good food one may be able to interpret this litterally and use it metaphorically towards life. If one only persues the taste of good food, ie food he likes then he may miss the wierd, odd foods that at first turn you off but evetnually grow on you and you learn to love them. When applied to life this is also true. If you only pursue those things that you see as good or enjoyment for you then you may miss some of the “bad” things or things you think are in fact less fun. for if you fail to try and embrace things then you will never know what you turly like or love. One example i have seen is music. The first time most people hear a new type of music their first reaction alot of the time is pure rejection, usually changing the song. When the song or music type is reheard though, over and over it grows on you and eventually in the quiet of your car late at night you find yourself singing it then questioning why the hell am i a singing ths song. Maybe a statement reflecting how you should not let previous biases effect your mindset and basically another statement suggesting to approach eveything with an open mind, not in the mindset of good and bad.
Thank you. I needed this.
This post is inspirational and usefull, thanks Glen!
16: Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
I think this is just as relevant for modern America or any other country where a big chunk of the population own weapons (guns), they were invented for one thing and thats killing people so if you don’t need them don’t collect them or practice with them.
Just realised Musashi was a warior type but my point is stil valid NO GUNS!
Thinking of the times, I’d guess that number 13 means to not always agree with and follow those who could give you good food. Instead, follow whoever is right.
Understand what the issue is and follow (be true to) your own beliefs. Sometimes the peasant will be in the right, sometimes the lord. Follow the way – your way. Be true to your own beliefs and uphold righteousness (not necessarily the “righteousness” of those who appear to be the good guys).
trying to accept thing the way it is means a lot to me especially when it comes to a thing that i cannot change. thanks.
thank you so much for posting this peas of art. I simply loved it
Very good rules, really enjoyed this. But I have to disagree w/ what you said about #20. The part about preserving your values is true, but I think we may eventually be able to stop death. I respect others views on if they’re ok w/ dying, but I see it as like a disease that should be cured.
Heather… There is a flaw in your statement. Life is beautify BECAUSE it is finite. Because we know there is a begining and an end, we try to accomplish more and be the best we can be in the limited time we have.
If someone came out with a “cure” for death… then many people would not try as hard, strive to be something that they might otherwise attempt to be had they known there was a limit to the time they had available to them.
Everything dies… that is the nature of the universe. The only thing that is eternal, at least by our standards, is energy itself. If you need something to make you feel good about the “Afterlife”, then think of this. When you die, the matter and energy that makes you up will continue and be reused in the universe. Something will benefit from your passing. That too is the way of the universe.
As Carl Sagan said: “We are all… Star Stuff.”
I still think life is beautiful even though it possibly won’t have to end. That’s why I support extending it. I don’t think everyone wouldn’t try as hard. At least that’s not true for me. People are still going to want to accomplish things. Even if some wouldn’t, I don’t think that’s a reason just accept death. And like I said, I’m okay with people choosing death for themselves, I just have a problem with people trying to stop others from extending their own lives.
Sounds like deprogramming. Like the result is going to be a stepford person. How can you not become attached to your children, your spouse or even your dog?
Id rather live a life full of emotion than a boring, indifferent, apathetic life full of control for controls sake.
Good. Very Islamic.
#1 – Acceptance. Sorry but you cannot accept EVERYTHING in life. Yes it would be a way to instant happiness BUT….
I had my 8 yr old son was killed by a drunk driver… care to show me how to just ACCEPT everything? How dare someone tell me to just accept EVERYTHING…. if I did that would be NO HONOR TO MY SON.
I feel like i wanna die every day… and I probably SHOULD feel this way.
-Adam
Hi Adam,
I’m not going to pretend I know your situation, although I’ve had quite a lot of people close to me pass away. I’m sorry to hear about what you have gone through. Acceptance doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t change things if you could or appreciate what has happened.
It simply means that you can not change what has happened no matter how much you let it get to you or how angry you get.
Resistance will not change anything, therefore you can accept whatever you are willing to accept, meaning accepting everything is perfectly possible.
I notice you say probably, which basically means you don’t know…nobody does. There are no rules as to how you should feel and it is up to you how you deal with things.
Hi Glen,
Thanks for your response. I guess im just saying this…. I stumbled upon your site because I feel life is over for me. My son was my everything, im sure you can understand that. But how am i supposed to deal with this? I read your blog, while it has some great points for people who lose their job, getting over a break up, etc…. i find it is good to accept where you are and learn from it.. but here… in my life… HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO ON? The firtst thing i read is to accept where I am and what is! Im afraid in my situation, its not possible and i dont know what to do.
Thank you,
Adam
I may not be able to relate to your exact situation, but I have been to a point where I thought life was no longer worth living. I don’t really like writing that online as my full name is here and family / friends read this site but I’m being honest. There have been times when I wanted to end it all.
What you might not realise already is that you already are going on. You might not be in an emotional / mental state that you desire, but you are looking for a way out of it. That should show you that you do have some control over how you react to this.
I went to my gran’s funeral on Monday and I wasn’t sad, simply because I believe there is more than this.
It is possible to accept your situation, but it is perfectly normal to take time to grieve and get over what has happened. You are taking action, and for that I respect you. A lot of people simply don’t have it in them and don’t have the will power to look for help and things get a little too much.
Deep down I’m sure you know how your son would want you to go on right now.
maybe number 13 was about not keeping up with the jones’. maybe we shouldnt be picky about what we eat and just be glad we can eat. those are my ideas about that one. thanks for sharing this list, i enjoyed reading, realizing and understanding it.
Interesting post. The listing had a very Asian style to them.
A few comments:
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food
It was pretty clear to me that he is stating this literally with a metaphorical mindset, as a few of us have already pointed out. As a recovering glutton myself (I am still dealing with debt because of food, literally), it is a sound enough rule literally. I know it goes against the modern, Western conception that food is a journey, but trust me, moderation in all things. I know this isn’t exactly having an acceptance attitude, here, but if I could go back and have taken this rule to heart a few years ago I would be in a much better place now.
21. Never stray from the Way
I believe it was rebecca above who stated that it was a reference to the Tao Te Ching. Quite right. The “tao”, the right path. I mean, I think your interpretation was more or less right, however, this has a deeper implication that is very hard to explain without getting into a deeper philosophical discussion about Taoism (and its merits). You should pick up the Tao Te Ching if you ever get a chance; it’s really, really fascinating. (“The tao of the tao is not the true tao” can still calm me and have me thinking for hours.) A lot of it has to do (superficially) with acceptance and all of that, so really, it’s a pretty good modern interpretation.
Overall, interesting read. Thanks.
Almost everything point to one particular view and it came up to number #1… if we summarize the dokkodo it is all about acceptance as Musashi accept his death, maybe that’s why he wrote this wonderful piece. He felt that he is dying and with his immovable mind he accepted death. Even on #13 it means accept what is on the table. do not have preferences, just it eat.
I’m pretty sure #13 is a metaphor, telling us not to eat (do any action) simply for the taste (reward.)
IE. Do not pursue the reward of good situations, but rather do good for good’s sake.
Great Post!!!
-mikey
First off, I don’t agree fully with the ideas on 1: you speak of a way to instant happiness while this is a very open concept; and, in # 2 you state that you had to think about his message. I believe it the message is that the instant happiness is not something to rely on, nor is it something valuable or worth achieving. As there are many ways to achieve happiness, few would be the right ones and only few concepts would define a spiritual kind of it. I believe that is what he is saying.
On number 4 I believe he suggests that (and this is applicable on the detachment of desire) that your acts are all for naught and that you are but on particle in an ocean. The way you interpret the world might set you aside from that ocean, and it might lead you to objectives of greater importance than just the fulfilling of that desire.
6, I believe, implies that you shouldn’t regret your past as you should analyze and learn from it thoroughly in order to prevent it from happening again, or simply to progress further on a spiritual level.
On 7, I think it is indicated that jealousy also causes one to do things in order to have a certain amount of succes he envies another person for. It’s like making money off of either chopping down trees and making profit from it, or because you make decent works of art with a true aesthetic meaning.
8. I think you contradict yourself with 1. You state that you have the choice of being happy or angry all the time, yet you must accept things just they are. There’s no point in cloaking the fact that you’re angry, if you’re not able to actually change your mood based on facts.
10 is largely applicable nowadays because the whole concept of love has been changed so drastically over the centuries that it is hard for one to tell if (s)he’s truly in love or has convinced himself of such feelings.
I agree mostly with the rest. Great stuff.
don’t you think when he said ‘never stray from the way’ he might have been talking about taoism? just a thought
Great comments on the philosophy of Miyamoto Musashi but jus remember that he wasn’t only a philosopher. He lived this + it was a hard life at times….. see The Book of 5 Rings (Go Rin No Sho)
I can understand all of those rules, but I wouldn’t live by them. Sorry, but I think they exclude very much joy, and you obviously don’t take many chances (but who am I to know; maybe you do).
This is a great philosophy. I like to follw this philosphy. In my opinion is that not all the precepts are followable unless you ahve actually experienced it. Like Musashi has. For example be detached from desire all life long. Desire is something that can keep a human being going to keep their life going. When desire is taken away the soul to keep going could also be taken. And only when you ahve experienced the wrongs in the desire that you have follwed can you truly be accept that it was wrong. The only way to truly realise this goal is to experience them yourself and understand the wrong of what happened. Also this state of been detached from everything is only achieveable once you have come to peace of mind which could take many years to achieve. Even Miyamoto Musashi took years to achieve this peace of mind.
Happiness is a by-product of right living. These precepts aren’t absolutes, but rather goals to strive towards.
As you wander through your own life, you will find the failing points of your own instincts and desires. These failing points or ‘gaps in your spiritual armor’ create unhappiness in your life.
These 21 precepts allow you an opportunity to recognize possible weaknesses and adjust your ‘armor’.
Acceptance is merely the understanding of the realities of any given circumstance, rather than an emotional attachment to a presumed outcome.
I don’t believe that Musashi attained perfection, he just followed his ‘Way’ and cataloged his experience. When he set out at age 15 I don’t think he was planning on writing these precepts on his death bed. Rather, he was describing as concisely as possible, what weakenesses he had found in his own character and was passing that along to his favorite student.
Remember, the student as with all disciples would have come to him asking the question, “How was your victories achieved?”
I have always had a problem with the contemporary concept of regret. To not have regrets in life can only be suggestive of two possibilities.
1) You took far too few risks in life so that you have made no mistakes.
2) You are intellectually incapable of comprehending the events of your life and while you have experienced it you have learned nothing from it.
I am not sure what is worse? Basically your either stupid or a chicken. I have lots of things I regret and wish I had done differently. But I also lived life, made mistakes and learned from them. Should I get the chance to do it again, I would do some things differently. How sad a life for one to be able to say “I have no regrets.” Or how sad to hear that one is so short on intellect that they cannot recognize them.
Refering to # 14 … Maybe it is not so Much in refrence to Food as to Life and Love … If you Have what you need Why go looking for what you think is better …
musashi was a warrior, he put his life on the line almost constantly, and in being close to death in that way, learnt what life is really all about. I.ll say it again, this piece is about attachment, don’t fix your mind on only one way of doing, or seeing things, and you’ll be free to act appropriately in any situation. Read between the lines people, and don’t get angry that i’m saying most of you are way off the mark, because that would be attachment! Lol!
fear of death, fear of life, fear of the unknown… FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR FEAR! Fear comes from what MAY happen whether it can or can’t, will or won’t happen. Fear can drive people to do things they wouldn’t normally do, but it’s still their choice to do it. they’re responsible for whet they do, no matter what excuses made up for them.
When you remove the fear, and only then may you live in the present.
All of what is written here is very interesting. I hope that more will be said about these subjects later.
I do believe that what Miyamoto is trying to say in the 19th item is that we should believe in Supreme Being/s that govern ourlives but we shouldn’t be dependent on Them but rather we should also work for ourselves. Meaning, if you wanna eat you pray, but you should find something to eat as well. Don’t wait for God to drop a half pounder burger and fries from heaven for you. Right??
I’d really like to know where you found this book. I’d like to find a printed version of possible.
I need two copies so that I can keep one & give one away as a gift.
~Thanks~
lancelot, your best bet is a company called kodansha international, it may be printed as part of another cool though, william scott wilson has done a lot of japanese classics for them, so they would be my first port of call, jay
Hi, I am looking for the a good translation of Dokkodo in English. Can you help me with a good the author’s name who has translated book exactly.
Regards,
Archana
Mumbai,India
I read his admonitions, but I skipped your interpretations.
Regarding #19… here’s a little proof for the reasonableness for a belief in God. Let’s take a look at cause and effect. We know that for every effect there is a preceding cause. But can this go on ad infinitum? In other words, can there be an infinite string of causes and effects? That would be like a chain with infinitely many links and that doesn’t make sense because the chain would have to start somewhere. Thus, there has to be an original cause that itself was not caused (an un-caused cause). We call the un-caused cause, God. He is the first mover of all things. He is the reason why we exist. Now, if He is the reason why we exist, then we kind of owe quite a bit to Him…in fact, everything, our whole being.
It then stands to reason that we owe Him the dependence that is written on our hearts. Humans in every age and in every culture have intuitively known that there is a God and that we must depend on him for everything. It has only been until our recent materialist (in the philosophical sense) age that we have discounted anything we couldn’t perceive directly with our sensorial powers (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch).
In fact, I would go a bit further to argue that we were made by God to love God, know God and serve God. This too is written on our hearts and is our very nature. It is precisely when we try to fill that God-shaped hole in our gut with sex, entertainment, money, power, knowledge or whatever that we feel emptiness. Nothing fills that void but He who created us.
Thanks a lot for this! I was having a rough week ’till i read this article. I feel that your list has given me a good reminder of what’s important and what’s not.
I am trying to get out of religious traditions and ponder up my own moral values and life by them and your part about living with honour and abiding your moral values and not changing them for society really reinforced that idea.
Thanks again!!! Great insight!
It is amazing how many people miss #13 in all its simple beauty – you eat to live not live to eat. This is how people become overweight which is bad for oneself mentally and emotionally. This has nothing to do with what you eat as it is why you eat. Whether you eat couscous, stirfry, steak, escargots in white truffle sauce – is it because you are hungry, or you think you are hungry, or you should eat because of your location? If you live an active life you are going to eat differently to someone who lives a sedentary lifestyle. As for #16, it is more a case of why you practise and what your understanding of it is. Is there any point to practising the art of sword fighting if you are not going to fight with it? Unless it is to exercise.
As for #1, #3 and #4 it is simply saying don’t be a little man. If you lose a son to a drink driver, or a partner to cancer don’t be a well of angry emotion. Do something positive like launch an awareness campaign with the media and do something positive. If you dwell on it you are destroying yourself and will end up with few friends. No one has the right to ruin somebody else’s day because they feel bad. And two wrongs don’t make a right.
And for going on about Iraq and the like – read #15. Everyone has their conspiracy theories and it often generated by the media. They cash in on people who live by their customary beliefs. Have you ever considered what America does to its prisoners? Do they get beheaded with a sword in front of a camera?
Musashi is my favourite, I like his philosophy and wish people would actually read his writings with more maturity.
I can’t believe you are damning people to hell. What a horrible thought to cast out to others.
Who is damning who to hell?
Epictetus speaks to this. I think it has to do with acquisitiveness and on a concrete plane, gluttony. John Thorne says that if you only like “good” wine or coffee, you don’t like wine or coffee at all. A true afficianno would drink anything, not just the good stuff.
Musashi may be speaking to the seduction of the senses. “Watch out,” he may say, “lest we become too focused of the transient, no matter how much we think we like it.” Look at 18.
On number 13 … “Do not pursue the taste of good food…” I would explain it thus:
“a) Taste is a sense, and as such eating is an act of sensuality … To avoid it becoming a lust, plain food is best.”
This is a wonderful list. One that at 60 I can easily believe and even strive for….At 20 or 30 or even 40 I am afraid I would have found it very limiting and bothersome. What once seemed a terrible confinement now seemed to offer solace. Isn’t life grand . And thankyou for putting it out there.
I think it means to accept what you cannot change Adam.
There comes a time in everyone’s life where they face hardships like yours, and acceptance is not forgetting, lying to yourself, or lying to others.
You cannot change the fact that your son is dead. nor can i change the fact that some of my loved ones are dead either. i’ll miss them for sure, but my life does not revolve around them being gone.
And I for one think that remembering what they were like before they died is far better for everyone than dwelling on the fact that they died.
i will miss the ones who died, but i won’t dwell on them because i know that they would’ve wanted me to go on with my life, instead of dwelling on them being gone…
It’s not your fault Adam.
Time does not heal pain, you just get so used to it being there that you forget about it. Time does not heal emotional things, I’m a living example of that.
Adam I hope you will remember your boy as he was when he was alive. Not as he was when he died.
“Hope cannot be given, taken, destroyed, or killed. Hope it’s self is always with you, you just can’t see it sometimes.”
“It is in our memories that our loved ones live on. It is when we forget that we really lose our loved ones.
When we die, others will remember us, whether it’s a stranger or a friend, we live on in other people’s memories.
So when someone we’ve met or knew dies, a legacy of who and what they were is passed on to us. And when we die, our legacy and theirs are passed on to those still living.”
I don’t remember who told me that. But I hope it helped.
The next part can be even harder Adam. You can’t do anything about what happened to your son. That was Chance and Fate.
“Fate and Destiny are two very different things. Fate you can change because Fate relies on Chance. Destiny is a force unto it’s self.
Fate becomes Destiny only when there is no Chance that Fate can take ahold of.
So take hold of Fate, so when it becomes Destiny, that Destiny will be what you Created.
But remember, Fate cannot be controlled. Because Chance is something that is always in the Present.”
We have the Past to learn from. The Future to hope for. And the Present to Create.
Thank you Glen, I suppose #13, on the Food you could take it two ways:
1. means that “Food should not be wasted”, as in, it’s food, a valuable resource and even if you’re a picky eater, it all counts in the end, that you’ve taken energy and nutrients, whether or not it looks or tastes the same, it should not be wasted.
2. Also, junk food… don’t pursue the taste of good food, meaning, you should take out the life of food instead of eating for pleasure (eg. if you are addicted to chocolate you will undoubtedly get fat/be unhealthy)
This was a great find, and I am an independent teenager living on my own, who needed this. I didn’t fit into any cliques or stereotypes at school, and I was my own person. I didn’t know who to talk to, because I felt like I was the only person not influenced by the media. I didn’t know what lifestyle to live, because I didn’t want to commit my life to something silly and unreliable.
I was confused by life, I tried out Christianity to find a place where I could belong, but it didn’t work. Turns out I’m an athiest whom goes to church to find friends.
I also had very much trouble letting go of regret, and I was unhappy all the time, and recently I’ve been getting better, and your article just sums up some of the things I’ve been through, and has given me more. I’m sure, as you know, just saved my life by more than a couple of years. Thanks again.
It’s important not to be envious, but you’ve fallen into the same trap that everyone else falls into when approached with the word “jealousy.”
Please learn what this word does and doesn’t mean — it’s translated from specific Japanese, so if Musashi had meant to say “Don’t be envious,” he’d use the word for envy, not for jealousy.
Hi Glen, love this commentary on the Dokkodo but I have one bone to pick: #10: for us it is perhaps impossible to be chaste but for Musashi it was absolutely essential nothing else got in the way of his path to martial perfection. A partner is also a great liability and he had more than a few enemies. If you’re thinking of your loved ones while you’re in battle it is taking away from your concentration just that much more. Also it should go to note that the Dokkodo kanji is written with the characters ‘alone’, ‘go/travel’, and ‘way/path’, this gives us a little more idea of his internal state. In his place and time it seems applicable but I agree with you completely for a modern usage of it. I personally make a mental note to take this one more lightly than the literal meaning when I’m meditating on it too.