Miyamoto Musashi Quotes

“A bullet from a gun does not make a distinction between practice and combat. You are training to be one and the same way in your life.”

“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.”

“Become acquainted with every art.”

“Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything.”

“If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything.”

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

“Perception is strong and sight weak. In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things.”

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

“Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is.
And you must bend to its power or live a lie.”

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

“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.”

“A thousand days of training to develop, ten thousand days of training to polish. You must examine all this well.”

“Accept everything just the way it is.”

“All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them.”

“Be detached from desire your whole life long.”

“Be indifferent to where you live.”

“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.”

“Do not act following customary beliefs.”

“Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.”

“Do not fear death.”

“Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.”

“Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.”

“Do not pursue the taste of good food.”

“Do not regret what you have done.”

“Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.”

“Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.”

“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, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.”

“Do nothing that is of no use.”

“From one thing, know ten thousand things.”