Famous Quotes & Sayings

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes & Sayings

Enjoy the top 100 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by Miyamoto Musashi.

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Famous Quotes By Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1600084

Cutting down the enemy is the way of strategy, and there is no need for many refinements of it. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2044100

Though you give up your life, do not give up your honor. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2243974

Nobody is strong and nobody is weak if he conceives of the body, from the head to the sole of the foot, as a unity in which a living mind circulates everywhere equally. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1647708

Do not sleep under a roof. Carry no money or food. Go alone to places frightening to the common brand of men. Become a criminal of purpose. Be put in jail, and extricate yourself by your own wisdom. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2213731

Polish your wisdom: learn public justice, distinguish between good and evil, study the ways of different arts one by one. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1183556

The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 704842

This is a truth: when you sacrifice your life, you must make fullest use of your weaponry. It is false not to do so, and to die with a weapon yet undrawn. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 700844

Immature strategy is the cause of grief". — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 397278

When in a fight to the death, one wants to employ all one's weapons to the utmost. I must say that to die with one's sword still sheathed is most regrettable. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1782675

If there is a Way involving the spirit of not being defeated, to help oneself and gain honour, it is the Way of Strategy. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2051937

Both in fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled yet unbiased. Even when your spirit is calm do not let your body relax, and when your body is relaxed do not let your spirit slacken. Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 508410

The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1145410

It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1364525

Consider yourself lightly; consider the world deeply. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 315665

There is even rhythm in being empty. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1995577

What is essential is to suddenly make a move totally unexpected by the opponent, pick up on the advantage of fright, and seize the victory right then and there. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2261251

Under the sword lifted high, There is hell making you tremble. But go ahead, And you have the land of bliss. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 568890

The fact of the matter is that the world does not care about you or me, our hopes, our desires, or our dreams. And, the world of dreams, hopes, and desires that is constructed between our ears it is not necessarily a reflection of what is actually going on around us. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 810929

In sum, it is not good to let the hand or the sword become fixed or frozen.87 A fixed hand is a dead hand; a hand that does not become fixed is alive. It is necessary to master this well. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 305659

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? — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1645432

By knowing what exist, you can know that which does not exist. That is the void. 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 confusion. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1618923

It is imperative to master the principles of the art of war and learn to be unmoved in mind even in the heat of the battle. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 639409

In the strategy of my school, keep your body and mind straight and make your opponent go through contortions and twist about. The essence is to defeat him in the moment when, in his mind, he is pivoting and twisting. You should examine this well. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1538436

No man is invincible, and therefore no man can fully understand that which would make him invincible. Even with complete and thorough study there is always the possibility of being defeated and although one may be expert in a particular form, mastery is something a man never stops seeking to attain. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2035599

Determine that today you will overcome your self of the day before, tomorrow you will win over those of lesser skill, and later you will win over those of greater skill. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 305487

Do not let your opponent see your spirit — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 348386

It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1242788

If you wish to control others you must first control yourself — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2193741

To cut and to 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. Even if you slash strongly, and even if the enemy dies instantly, it is slashing. When you cut, your spirit is resolved. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 386825

The spirit of defeating a man is the same for ten million men. The strategist makes small things into big things, like building a great Buddha from a one foot model. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1162111

One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1485877

It is necessary to know ten thousand things by knowing one well. If you are to practice the way of strategy, nothing must escape your eyes.54 Reflect well on this. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2211266

If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2133417

If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult to master strategy. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2252473

I dreamt of worldly success once. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1566285

When you cannot be deceived by men you will have realised the wisdom of strategy. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1554609

Step by step walk the thousand-mile road. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1205499

You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1453978

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. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1413707

The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1393229

Always return your weapon along the same path it traveled out on. In this way you can use it again without having to relocate and rethink our attitude. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2104114

They speak of "This Dojo" and "That Dojo". They are looking for profit. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1912638

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. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2068428

To become the enemy, see yourself as the enemy of the enemy — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2109752

All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2113517

In time, all things work to your advantage when you pursue them with an open heart. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2113537

The warrior is different in that studying the Way of strategy is based on overcoming men — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 2015194

Fourthly, the way of the artisan. The way of the carpenter is to become proficient in the use of his tools, first to lay his plans with true measure and then perform his work according to plan. Thus he passes through life. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1981729

Do nothing that is of no use — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1972953

The sword has to be more than a simple weapon; it has to be an answer to life's questions. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1954352

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. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1659112

The Way is in training ... Do nothing which is not of value. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1899078

Most warriors only perform tricks. The way of the warrior is filled with soul and feeling — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1855641

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

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1800519

In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1794319

When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1765128

The essential is to think that anything you are doing has to become the occasion for slashing. You must examine this well. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1733968

You can only fight the way you practice — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1691972

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. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 386707

There are many ways of understanding simple things, but generally the opposite is true for difficult ideas — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 747022

This Fudo Myo-o, whose name means "Immovable Wisdom King," is represented with a sword to cut through our ignorance and a rope to bind up our emotions — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 742161

All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 736819

Water adopts the shape of its receptacle, it is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 721638

By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 707627

The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 680966

If you fail to take advantage of your enemies' collapse, they may recover. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 579369

If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 520021

Too much is the same as not enough. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 442382

The bow is tactically strong at the commencement of battle, especially battles on a moor, as it is possible to shoot quickly among the spearmen. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 427853

Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 777822

A man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 310547

The principle of my school is quite different. In the other schools, techniques are displayed like merchandise adorned with colors and flowers, so they can be turned into a way of making a living, which is not the true way. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 306953

From inside fortifications, the gun has no equal among weapons. It is the supreme weapon on the field before the ranks clash, but once swords are crossed the gun becomes useless. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 271378

It is difficult to realize the true Way just through sword-fencing. Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 265718

You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 198709

Never depart from the way of martial arts. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 179439

There is no one way to salvation, whatever the manner in which a man may proceed. All forms and variations are governed by the eternal intelligence of the Universe that enables a man to approach perfection. It may be in the arts of music and painting or it may be in commerce, law, or medicine. It may be in the study of war or the study of peace. Each is as important as any other. Spiritual enlightenment through religious meditation such as Zen or in any other way is as viable and functional as any "Way." ... A person should study as they see fit. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 161165

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 ... — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 152421

Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of Man. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 124446

If you learn indoor techniques, you will think narrowly and forget the true Way. Thus you will have difficulty in actual encounters. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1074779

If the enemy stays spirited it is difficult to crush him. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1247290

Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1244247

Why would you want to appear as one thing and be another? If you are a warrior then you are a warrior and if you are not a warrior then you are not a warrior. The Way of the warrior is the Way of the warrior. To be a warrior, look like a warrior and stand like a warrior. Do not be false to yourself. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1234233

You must cultivate your wisdom and spirit. Polish your wisdom: learn public justice, distinguish between good and evil, study the Ways of different arts one by one. When you cannot be deceived by men you will have realized the wisdom of strategy. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1217834

Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast ... .Of course, slowness is bad. Really skillful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never appear busy. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1215883

Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 92048

This is truth: When you sacrifice your life, you must make fullest use of your weaponry. It is false not to do so, and to die with a weapon as yet undrawn. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1118413

In the construction of houses, choice of woods is made. Straight un-knotted timber of good appearance is used for the revealed pillars, straight timber with small defects is used for the inner pillars. Timbers of the finest appearance, even if a little weak, is used for the thresholds, lintels, doors, and sliding doors, and so on. Good strong timber, though it be gnarled and knotted, can always be used discreetly in construction. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1117422

The halberd is inferior to the spear on the battlefield. With the spear you can take the initiative, the halberd is defensive. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1112086

You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1324851

A thousand days of training to develop, ten thousand days of training to polish. You must examine all this well. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1057854

In battle, if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1032507

In my school, no consideration is given to anything unreasonable; the heart of the matter is to use the power of the knowledge of martial arts to gain victory any way you can. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1025283

Fixed formation is bad. Study this well. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1018790

Teaching people a large number of sword techniques254 is turning the way into a business of selling goods, making beginners believe that there is something profound in their training by impressing them with a variety of techniques. This attitude toward strategy must be avoided, because thinking that there is a variety of ways of cutting a man down is evidence of a disturbed mind. In the world, different ways of cutting a man down do not exist. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 1006062

Unless you really understand others, you can hardly attain your own self-understanding. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 942926

Also by training you will be able to freely control your own body, conquer men with your body, and with sufficient training you will be able to beat ten men with your spirit. When you have reached this point, will it not mean that you are invincible? — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 940351

Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 838871

With your spirit open and unconstricted, look at things from a high point of view. — Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi Quotes 801275

Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals — Miyamoto Musashi