Miyamoto Musashi Quotes & Sayings
Enjoy the top 100 famous quotes, sayings and quotations by Miyamoto Musashi.
Famous Quotes By Miyamoto Musashi
Cutting down the enemy is the way of strategy, and there is no need for many refinements of it. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
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
Polish your wisdom: learn public justice, distinguish between good and evil, study the ways of different arts one by one. — Miyamoto Musashi
The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win — Miyamoto Musashi
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
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
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
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
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
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
Under the sword lifted high, There is hell making you tremble. But go ahead, And you have the land of bliss. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains. — Miyamoto Musashi
If you do not look at things on a large scale, it will be difficult to master strategy. — Miyamoto Musashi
I dreamt of worldly success once. — Miyamoto Musashi
When you cannot be deceived by men you will have realised the wisdom of strategy. — Miyamoto Musashi
Step by step walk the thousand-mile road. — Miyamoto Musashi
You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
They speak of "This Dojo" and "That Dojo". They are looking for profit. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
To become the enemy, see yourself as the enemy of the enemy — Miyamoto Musashi
All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them — Miyamoto Musashi
In time, all things work to your advantage when you pursue them with an open heart. — Miyamoto Musashi
The warrior is different in that studying the Way of strategy is based on overcoming men — Miyamoto Musashi
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
Do nothing that is of no use — Miyamoto Musashi
The sword has to be more than a simple weapon; it has to be an answer to life's questions. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
The Way is in training ... Do nothing which is not of value. — Miyamoto Musashi
Most warriors only perform tricks. The way of the warrior is filled with soul and feeling — Miyamoto Musashi
In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way has existence, spirit is nothingness. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent. — Miyamoto Musashi
The essential is to think that anything you are doing has to become the occasion for slashing. You must examine this well. — Miyamoto Musashi
You can only fight the way you practice — Miyamoto Musashi
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
There are many ways of understanding simple things, but generally the opposite is true for difficult ideas — Miyamoto Musashi
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
All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. — Miyamoto Musashi
Water adopts the shape of its receptacle, it is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea. — Miyamoto Musashi
By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
If you fail to take advantage of your enemies' collapse, they may recover. — Miyamoto Musashi
If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything. — Miyamoto Musashi
Too much is the same as not enough. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
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
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
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
You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour. — Miyamoto Musashi
Never depart from the way of martial arts. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
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
Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of Man. — Miyamoto Musashi
If you learn indoor techniques, you will think narrowly and forget the true Way. Thus you will have difficulty in actual encounters. — Miyamoto Musashi
If the enemy stays spirited it is difficult to crush him. — Miyamoto Musashi
Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
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
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
Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help — Miyamoto Musashi
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
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
The halberd is inferior to the spear on the battlefield. With the spear you can take the initiative, the halberd is defensive. — Miyamoto Musashi
You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain — Miyamoto Musashi
A thousand days of training to develop, ten thousand days of training to polish. You must examine all this well. — Miyamoto Musashi
In battle, if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
Fixed formation is bad. Study this well. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
Unless you really understand others, you can hardly attain your own self-understanding. — Miyamoto Musashi
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
Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love. — Miyamoto Musashi
With your spirit open and unconstricted, look at things from a high point of view. — Miyamoto Musashi
Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals — Miyamoto Musashi