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Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes

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Famous Miyamoto Musashi Quotes

“Thirdly, the gentleman warrior, carrying the weaponry of his way. The way of the warrior is to master the virtue of his weapons. If a gentleman dislikes strategy he will not appreciate the benefit of weaponry, so must he not have a little taste for this?”

IfsWayLittlesWarVirtueMastersTasteBenefitsWeaponsAppreciateStrategyWarriorGentlemanDislikeWeaponryWay Of The Warrior
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“Second is the way of the merchant. The wine maker obtains his ingredients and puts them to use to make his living. The way of the merchant is always to live by taking profit.”

WayWarUseWineProfitLive ByIngredientsMakersMerchants
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“If you want to learn the craft of war, ponder over this book. The teacher is as a needle, the disciple is as thread. You must practice constantly.”

IfsWantBookWarPracticeTeacherCraftsThreadDiscipleNeedlesPondering
Book:The Book of Five Rings: A Text on Kenjutsu and the Martial Arts in General, Written by the Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi
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“To cut and slash are two different things. Cutting, whatever form of cutting it is, is decisive, with a resolute spirit. Slashing is nothing more than touching the enemy.”

TwoDifferentWarFormSpiritEnemyCuttingDifferent ThingsTouchingResoluteTwo Different Things
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“As the innocent infant relies upon the mother for sustenance, so the innocent wanderer, following his native compassion and bliss, relies upon the natural intelligence of life to sustain him. There are various Ways. There is the Way of salvation by the law of Buddha, the Way of Confucius governing the Way of learning, the Way of healing as a doctor, as a poet teaching the Way of Waka, tea, archery, and many arts and skills. Each man practices as he feels inclined.”

MenWayLifeFeelsArtLawMotherNaturalHealingCompassionPracticeTeachingPoetSkillsDoctorsSalvationVariousFollowingInnocentTeaBlissRelyNativeInfantGoverningSustenanceWanderersRely UponArcheryNatural Intelligence
Author:Miyamoto Musashi
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“All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this.”

AbleFallAll ThingsFalling In LoveRisingTimingRise And Fall
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“The Way of the warrior does not include other ways, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, certain traditions, artistic accomplishments, and dancing. But even though these are not part of the Way, if you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything.”

IfsKnowsWayDoeCertainBuddhismTraditionDancingWarriorArtisticAccomplishmentConfucianismWay Of The Warrior
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this.”

WayLifeWholeAbleFallAll ThingsHarmonyWhole LifeWarriorRisingCyclesTimingMerchantsDiscordRise And Fall
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“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.”

PeopleThinkingWorldLooksHumanityThis WorldVoidBewilderment
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“Aspire to be like Mt. Fuji, with such a broad and solid foundation that the strongest earthquake cannot move you, and so tall that the greatest enterprises of common men seem insignificant from your lofty perspective. With your mind as high as Mt Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things happening near to you.”

MenMindSeemsMovingForceGrowthCommonEventsPerspectiveShapesHappeningsAll ThingsFoundationThings HappenEnterpriseTallStrongestBroadsAspireInsignificantEarthquakesLoftyCommon ManSolid Foundation
Author:Miyamoto Musashi
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“In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness.”

WaySpiritEvilExistencePrinciplesVirtueVoidNothingness
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent.”

CalmOpponentsHurrying
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“If you learn indoor techniques, you will think narrowly and forget the true Way. Thus you will have difficulty in actual encounters.”

IfsThinkingWayForgetDifficultyTechniqueEncounters
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“Speed is not part of the true Way of strategy. Speed implies that things seem fast or slow, according to whether or not they are in rhythm. Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast.”

WayDoeSeemsMastersStrategySpeedRhythm
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“When your spirit is not in the least clouded, when the clouds of bewilderment clear away, there is the true void.”

SpiritClearCloudsVoidCloudedBewilderment
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“In contests of strategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always be able to lead the enemy about.”

AbleEnemyStrategyContests
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“In all forms of strategy, it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday life and to make your everyday stance your combat stance.”

FormStrategyEverydayCombatEveryday LifeStance
Book:Honor: Samurai Philosophy of Life - The Essential Samurai Collection; The Book of Five Rings, Hagakure: The Way of the Samurai, Bushido: The Soul of Japan.
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“Even if you strive diligently on your chosen path day after day, if your heart is not in accord with it, then even if you think you are on a good path, from the point of view of the straight and true, this is not a genuine path. If you do not pursue a genuine path to its consummation, then a little bit of crookedness in the mind will later turn into a major warp. Reflect on this.”

IfsThinkingMindHeartLittlesTurnsBitsViewsPathMajorsLittle BitStrivePoint Of ViewGenuineChosenPursueAccordWarpChosen Path
Book:The Book of Five Rings
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