Best 114 quotes of Miyamoto Musashi on MyQuotes

Accept everything just the way it is.

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

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?

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.

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.

Anger. Control your anger. If you hold anger toward others, they have control over you.Your opponent can dominate and defeat you if you allow him to get you irritated.

Approach the enemy with the attitude of defeating him without delay.

As far as Im concerned, I regret nothing.

As if with the nut and flower, the nut has become less than the flower... both those teaching and those learning are concerned with colouring and showing off their technique, trying to hasten the bloom of the flower.

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.

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.

A warrior has no confusion in his mind...This is true emptiness.

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

Crossing at a ford occurs often in a man's lifetime. It means setting sail even though your friends stay in harbour, knowing the route, knowing the soundness of your ship and the favour of the day.

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

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.

Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything.

Do not act following customary beliefs.

Do nothing which is of no use.

Do not let your spirit be influenced by your body, or your body be influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited or over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.

Do not regret what you have done

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.

Do not think dishonestly... Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything. Perceive those things which cannot be seen. Pay attention even to trifles. Do nothing which is of no use.

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

Even if a man has no natural ability, he can be a warrior.

Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to life.

Fixed formation is bad. Study this well.

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.

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.

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

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

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

If you are not progressing along the true way, a slight twist in the mind can become a major twist. This must be pondered well.

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

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

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

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.

Imitation is the surest form of flattery and failure. I am not interested with your talk about my ideas. I am more interested in your applying them to your life. If you do not, then you are essentially not in accord with your own mind.

Immature strategy is the cause of grief.

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.

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

In contests of strategy it is bad to be led about by the enemy. You must always be able to lead the enemy about.

In strategy your spiritual bearing must not be any different from normal. 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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

It is said the warrior's is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways. Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way.

It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.