Book of Five Rings - Highlights and Notes

Musashi wrote this book with the intention of sharing (and teaching) his art of Sword
fighting. It has mainly technical details of sword fights and large scale battles, but
between the lines there are hidden gems of wisdom that are applicable to any craft and
life in general. In this file, I've compiled all such highlights from the text and provided my
notes on them. My notes/comments are in italics. All other words are the direct
translation of Musashi's text.

Victor Harris Translation

The strategist makes small things into big things, like building a great Buddha from a one
foot model. The principle of strategy is having one thing, to know ten thousand
things.

This is what you'd call First Principles Thinking in modern terms. Rapid learners like Josh
Waitzkin apply this technique. Rapid learners learn the basics of one game well and that gives
them a competitive advantage in other games too. Through the lessons of one game, you can
spot the patterns in other games that the conventional players won't.

If you crack the first principles of your field, then you won't have to memorize the thousand
different facts of your craft. You'll be able to produce the fact by yourself when you need it.
Perhaps this is what Musashi meant by saying: knowing one thing to know ten thousand
things.

--

The essence of this book is that you must train day and night in order to make quick
decisions. In strategy it is necessary to treat training as a part of normal life with
your spirit unchanging.

As per Musashi, you don't just train inside the practice ground, but you train all day. After you
step out of the practice ground, you might not find opportunities to practice your sword skills,
but you can still practice other fundamentals like practicing the gaze, footwork, mental
alertness, etc. When you take up a craft seriously, it doesn’t stay limited to the training time, it
dissolves into your entire day.

--
By Wind I mean old traditions, present-day traditions, and family traditions of strategy.
Thus I clearly explain the strategies of the world. This is tradition. It is difficult to know
yourself if you do not know others.

It's true that by knowing more about yourself, you can know more about others. But the
opposite is also true, by knowing others you can spot the faults in yourself too. This is where
the study of mental biases originated from. It's hard to catch yourself falling into a cognitive
bias, but one can observe others doing that. And through that observation one becomes more
aware of his own tendencies if he is observing sincerely.

--

The Way of strategy is the Way of nature. When you appreciate the power of nature,
knowing the rhythm of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally
and strike naturally. All this is the Way of the Void.

--

According to this Ichi school, you can win with a long weapon, and yet you can also win
with a short weapon. In short, the Way of the Ichi school is the spirit of winning,
whatever the weapon and whatever its size.

It's critical to not get attached to your tools and tactics. Your strategies and assets will become
your enemy if they start to distract you from the real goal for which you recruited them in the
first place. This is a very common sight. People get attached to following the steps forgetting
the end goal for which they are taking those steps. As a result, even if he comes across another
way to reach the same goal more quickly, he neglects that way and continues with his decided
steps. Eventually he is more likely to become an expert of the steps rather than master of the
craft.

--

To master the virtue of the long sword is to govern the world and oneself, thus the long
sword is the basis of strategy. The principle is "strategy by means of the long sword".

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. Men must
polish their particular Way.
This is an extension of the idea of knowing ten thousand things by knowing one thing. Learn
from your craft, but try to map those lessons into other aspects of your life too. In the language
of maths this is called Generalization, where you see a pattern in one thing and try to see if
other things also follow that kind of pattern. Many of my insights (in the form of tweets and
essays) come from this process. Once you start applying this in your life, you'll see that your
craft has a lot more to offer to you than just a source of income. You can learn many life
lessons and uncover deeper aspects of your mind through your art.

--

You should not have a favourite weapon. To become over-familiar with one weapon
is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well. You should not copy others,
but use weapons which you can handle properly. It is bad for commanders and troops
to have likes and dislikes.

The message to not copy others is critical in our internet-generation. I've written about it
several times. Don't get influenced by the success people exhibit online. Find your uniqueness
and hone it. Craft your own path based on your strengths and interests.

--

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. In strategy there are various timing considerations. From the outset you must know
the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small
things and the fast and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance
timing and the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially
important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will become uncertain.

--

This is the Way for men who want to learn my strategy:

Do not think dishonestly.

The Way is in training.
Become acquainted with every art.
Know the Ways of all professions.
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.
It is important to start by setting these broad principles in your heart, and train in the
Way of strategy. If you do not look at things on a large scale it will be difficult for you to
master strategy.

See how Musashi isn't just teaching the details of sword fighting, but also the fundamentals of
proper mindset to his students. Musashi understands that if these fundamentals are laid right,
the details will come easy. And having a solid foundation in these listed things will
automatically affect all the aspects of a student's life, not just in sword fighting.

--

If you merely read this book you will not reach the Way of strategy. Absorb the things
written in this book. Do not just read, memorise or imitate, but so that you realise
the principle from within your own heart study hard to absorb these things into
your body.

Read the second point from the previous highlight: The way is in Training. Musashi mentions
multiple times in the book that he can't explain all the details. Beyond words, one must train
on the ground to get the experiential knowledge that mere words can't give. Only real training
can allow the knowledge to get absorbed into your body; words are limited just to the
intellectual part of your mind.

--

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. 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
influenced by your spirit. Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated
spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.

--

Whatever your size, do not be misled by the reactions of your own body. With your spirit
open and unconstricted, look at things from a high point of view. 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 realised the wisdom of strategy.

--
The wisdom of strategy is different from other things. On the battlefield, even when you
are hard-pressed, you should ceaselessly research the principles of strategy so that you
can develop a steady spirit.

--

This is the twofold gaze "Perception and Sight". 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. It is important in strategy to know the enemy's sword and
not to be distracted by insignificant movements of his sword. You must study this

--

It is necessary in strategy to be able to look to both sides without moving the eyeballs.
You cannot master this ability quickly. Learn what is written here: use this gaze in
everyday life and do not vary it whatever happens.

--

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. More than anything, you must be thinking of carrying
your movement through to cutting him.

Never stray your eyes from the goal that you are after. Be open to take whatever path that
comes before you that leads to that destination. People form a plan and stick to it even when it
fails. Don't get attached to the means when you are chasing a goal.

--

Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over
yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.

--

Even if you kill an enemy, if it is not based on what you have learned it is not the
true Way.
This is a very important point to keep in mind, especially when you are succeeding in life.
Always keep a check if your victory was bought by you or by luck. Luck plays a role in many
things. We can't ignore this fact. But it's never a good idea to depend on it. You can't
completely remove luck from the equation, but you can definitely bend it in your favor through
strategy, action, learning, and implementing your lessons.

--

In the first place, people think narrowly about the benefit of strategy. By using only their
fingertips, they only know the benefit of three of the five inches of the wrist. They let a
contest be decided, as with the folding fan, merely by the span of their forearms. They
specialise in the small matter of dexterity, learning such trifles as hand and leg
movements with the bamboo practise sword.

Don't only see the details of your art, but also feel the fundamentals. You can't necessarily
communicate or write down those fundamentals in words. There is something going on at the
level of feeling when you interact with your art. Repeating instructed steps and practicing with
wooden swords will never give you the feeling of involvement in a real duel with real swords.
Same is with any art.

--

Any man who wants to master the essence of my strategy must research diligently,
training morning and evening.

Notice how Musashi constantly talks about researching and studying, not only practicing. If
you want to master your craft, you must be observant of all the patterns and feelings that you
encounter while working on your skills.

Thus can he polish his skill, become free from self, and realise extraordinary ability. He
will come to posses miraculous power.

The ultimate level of mastering a craft is when you get lost in the craft and the craft gets lost in
you. Both dissolve in each other. And in this state, master pieces emerge.

This is the practical result of strategy.

--

The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his
useless actions. However, doing this alone is defensive. First, you must act according to
the Way, suppress the enemy's techniques, foiling his plans, and thence command him
directly.
--

"Crossing at a ford" means, for example, crossing the sea at a strait, or crossing over a
hundred miles of broad sea at a crossing place. I believe this "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. When
all the conditions are met, and there is perhaps a favourable wind, or a tailwind, then set
sail. If the wind changes within a few miles of your destination, you must row across the
remaining distance without sail.

If you attain this spirit, it applies to everyday life. You must always think of crossing at a
ford.

--

Some of the world's strategists are concerned only with sword fencing, and limit their
training to flourishing the long sword and carriage of the body. But is dexterity alone
sufficient to win? This is not the essence of the Way.

Employ holistic learning. Learn many things from one, and apply lessons from one thing to
many.

--

You cross swords with an enemy you must not think of cutting him either strongly or
weakly; just think of cutting and killing him. Be intent solely on killing the enemy. Do not
try to cut strongly and, of course, do not think of cutting weakly. You should only be
concerned with killing the enemy.

The spirit of my school is to win through the wisdom of strategy, paying no

attention to trifles.

It seems Musashi applies extreme minimalism to his strategy. He does absolutely nothing extra
than what his goal requires. Often when we are in the planning phase of a goal, we include
many unnecessary things in our plan. At first sight they might seem to add to the result, but
try to sit down with the Musashi’s mentality to ruthlessly eliminate everything that isn't taking
you towards your goal or taking a longer route. You'll end up with a much smaller, direct, and
effective plan.

--
Methods apart from these five—hand twisting, body bending, jumping out, and so on, to
cut the enemy—are not the true Way of strategy. In order to cut the enemy you must
not make twisting or bending cuts. This is completely useless. In my strategy, I bear my
spirit and body straight, and cause the enemy to twist and bend.

This again shows the level of minimalism Musashi implements in his method. Not a single
extra movement. Not a single detour. Every movement should take you directly towards your
goal.

--

Bearing an attack well, with a strong attitude, and parrying the enemy's attack well, is like
making a wall of spears and halberds. When you attack the enemy, your spirit must go to
the extent of pulling the stakes out of a wall and using them as spears and halberds.

--

In single combat you must not fix the eyes on details. As I said before, if you fix your eyes
on details and neglect important things, your spirit will become bewildered, and victory
will escape you.

On your path towards your goal, many ups and downs will come. Some days come with good
news, some days will come with failures. But don't lose the view of the bigger picture. Though
the details are fluctuating, you have to take the average of that fluctuation over time to the
peak that you’ve decided.

--

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.

Of course, slowness is bad. Really skilful people never get out of time, and are always
deliberate, and never appear busy.

--

Of course the void is nothingness. By knowing things that 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 bewilderment.
In the void is virtue, and no evil. Wisdom has existence, principle has existence, the Way
has existence, spirit is nothingness.

Alexander Bennett Translation

(I have not mentioned the points that are common in both books and already covered in the
above section. There are a couple of repetitions that are kept intentionally.)

Afterward, I trekked through the provinces to challenge swordsmen of various systems

and remained undefeated in over sixty contests. This all took place between the ages of
thirteen and twenty-eight or nine. After turning thirty, I reminisced on past experiences
and realized that my success could not be credited to a true mastery of strategy. Could my
triumphs have been attributed to an innate ability in the Way of combat strategy that kept
me from straying from Heavenly principles? Or was it due to flaws in the other schools of
swordsmanship that I encountered? Thereafter I studied zealously from morning to night
in a quest to discover the deepest principles. I was about fifty when I realized the real
meaning of the Way of combat strategy. Since then, I have spent my days not needing to
seek any more. Having attained the essence of the Way of combat strategy, I practice
the disciplines of many arts without the need of a teacher in any of them.

--

It is impossible to understand swordsmanship based on the principles of the sword

alone. Naturally, teaching only swordsmanship will not measure up to the laws of combat
[in pitched battle].

Your craft is more than just a work. It is your means to further exploration of life and mind.
Don't waste this potential by having a narrow view of your craft as a work.

--

Looking at the world, I see how people peddle their arts. In addition to the various
utensils of their craft, they even think of themselves as commodities for sale. This is
analogous to a flower and its fruit, where the fruit is, in fact, much smaller [and is more
show than substance]. In any case, colorful displays of technique are flaunted in
these martial art “Ways" to force the flower into bloom. Profiteers blathering over
this dojo or that dojo, teaching one Way or learning another in the hope of conquering in
the fray, fit the [popular] adage “Unripe martial arts are the root of serious harm."
This can't be more true in this internet-era where everyone is trying to become a guru. Often a
simple thing is shown as more complex just so that you can be sold a step-by-step guide to
solve that problem. Beware of such time eaters.

--

Although I call it the Ether, how can its depth and point of entrance be discerned when it
is indicating emptiness? Having comprehended the truth of the Way, you can then
let it go. You will find liberation in the Way of combat strategy and naturally attain a
marvelous capacity to know the most rational rhythm for every moment. Your strike will
manifest on its own, and hit the target on its own. All this represents the Way of the
Ether.

Once you embody your craft, then let your craft flow freely through you. Even the path that you
chose to reach there has to be left behind once you cross that line of mastery.

--

When the time comes to abandon life in combat, a warrior must make full use of all the
weapons at his disposal. To perish with a weapon uselessly sheathed at one's side is
shameful.

Use all the abilities that nature has gifted you. So much of human potential goes unused every
day on this planet. Ideally one should go into his bed with all his time and energy of the day
utilized in some decided direction.

--

When addressing the Way, the warrior's path is different from those of Confucianists,
Buddhists, tea masters, protocol experts and dancers. Nevertheless, different though
these Ways may be, to know one Way in the broad sense means you will find commonality
in all of them. It is important for all men to perfect their own Ways.

Your craft might be different from that of someone else. Though everyone's craft is different, in
the end, by pursuing mastery in your respective craft, you can pursue the common goal of
mastering the mind.

--

For those who care to learn my principles of combat strategy, follow these rules in
observing the Way:

1. Think never to veer from the Way

 2. Train unremittingly in the Way
3. Acquaint yourself with all arts
4. Know the Ways of all vocations
5. Discern the truth in all things
6. See the intrinsic worth in all things
7. Perceive and know what cannot be seen with the eyes
8. Pay attention even to trifles
9. Do not engage in superfluous activities

Train in the Way of combat strategy keeping these basic principles in mind.

These are the same principles mentioned above, but worded differently. I am keeping them
here in case you find some different depth in this version.

--

The mind is not static even in times of calm. In times of haste, the mind does not rush.
The body does not carry the mind and the mind does not carry the body. The mind should
be vigilant when the body is exposed. The mind must not be absent nor be excessive.
Both the high-spirited mind and the lethargic mind are signs of weakness.

--

Be sure to maintain a spirit that is untainted and extensive. Wisdom will settle in
the seat of a broad mind. It is crucial to enrich your mind and your wisdom. By
enhancing your wisdom, you will be able to sense what is reasonable and unreasonable in
the world and will learn the difference between good and evil. You can then see
commonality in the Ways of different arts and you will not be open to deception. This is
when one can be said to possess the wisdom of strategy in one's heart.

Always be learning. Keep the doors of your mind open to let any dose of truth to enter in any
situation.

--

When you face adversity in the midst of battle and find yourself completely engaged,
never forget to focus your mind on the principles of strategy as this will create within you
a steadfast spirit.

The most challenging part of any adversity in life is that we forget our lessons. People tend to
philosophize with words, but when life takes a test, all their philosophy disappears. It's easy to
remember the lessons when things are normal, the real training is when you have to remember
them amidst chaos.
--

One's gaze should be expansive and far-reaching. This is the dual gaze of “looking in"
{kan) and “looking at" {ken). The gaze for “looking in" is intense whereas that for “looking
at" is gentle. It is of utmost importance for a warrior to see distant things as if they
were close and close things as if they were distant.

The warrior must know the enemy's sword without even seeing it. This is critical in
combat and must be practiced attentively. Be it in small-scale combat or largescale battle,
one's gaze should be the same. It is vital to be able to see both sides without needing to
move your eyes.

Continually employ this mode of observation in your daily life so that you can apply it in
any situation.

--

The teaching of “stance, no-stance" means that you must not focus your mind on
assuming a particular fighting stance. Nevertheless, the five stances that I have defined
can be utilized as engarde postures. With swords in hand, you will adopt various stances
as dictated by location and circumstances, such as the posture the enemy is adopting.

Then he goes on describing various transitions from one stance to another. His “Stance, No-
Stance” approach shows he is not only focused on getting the basics ingrained but later allows
changes to flow in real life situations. Solidity with Flexibility. And then he writes:

Regardless of the situation, first and foremost the sword is held so that the enemy can be
cut. You deflect your opponent's sword as he attacks, you can parry, slap, strike, stick to or
press his sword, but the objective is to cut the enemy. If you become obsessed with the
act of parrying, slapping, striking, sticking to or pressing your opponent's weapon,
the subsequent strike will lack vigor. Always remember that any stance you assume is
for cutting. Practice this well.

--

In combat, it is through the “principles of engagement" that victory with the sword
is attained. I need not explain the particulars. What is important is to practice
conscientiously in order to realize what it takes to win. This is related to sword techniques
that represent the true Way of combat strategy.

Engage with your craft and it will show you all the secrets. But if you just keep reading other
masters, you'll only master those words, not the craft.
--

Be relentless in your study and be patient as you learn the virtue of all phenomena
utilizing every opportunity to accumulate actual experience.

Just imagine how fast one can grow if he learns from every mistake he makes. Such a person is
destined to reach mastery very soon.

--

Traverse the thousand mile road one step at a time. Haste not in your training in
the knowledge that this is the warrior's calling. Seek victory today over the self of
yesterday. Tomorrow, conquer your shortcomings and then [build] your strong points.
Practice all I have written here, mindful of not veering from the path.

One thousand days of training to forge, ten thousand days of training to refine.

--

In exercising my ideas of strategy, I have put my life on the line many times in
combat. I have learned the Way of the sword by risking everything in the divide
between life and death. Accordingly, I know the strengths and weaknesses of an enemy's
sword as he strikes and have learned how to use the edge and back of the blade [to parry
and press]. It is illogical to dwell on small, weak techniques as you prepare yourself to slay
an enemy.

Train your craft as your life depends on it. Don't pick the safe side. Expose your work to critics.
Seek challenges in your craft. Same goes with mastering the mind. Your life might not depend
on your mind, but the Quality of your life sure does. Don't take it lightly.

Think to yourself “Who else but I can access the 'direct path'?'' and “I will accomplish this
in time," then throw yourself wholeheartedly into training in the ways of my school
from morning to night. You will find liberation once you have mastered the skills and
will naturally gain a sublime ability pertinent to all things. This is the necessary
disposition of a warrior in the art of combat.

Notice the level of dedication he seeks. Wholeheartedly. Do we even do *anything*

wholeheartedly now-a-days? Everything is so shallow about every aspect of a normal human's
life. Break out of this cage of normalcy. Pick a craft or a purpose and dedicate your life to it.

--
The underlying principle of my school is to defeat the enemy in any situation by applying
strategic wisdom, without incorporating anything that is “excessive.”

Minimal Action, Maximum results. This is not laziness, this is directness. Prune out the extra
fluff from your life.

--

Ideally, the way to win with certainty is to drive the enemy flustering them as they dash
here and there while you remain upright and strong.

If you are accustomed to blocking, evading, disengaging or deflecting attacks in the

course of your training, it will become ingrained and you will be inadvertently influenced
by the enemy's ploys.

Again, stop doing the extra steps. Know your goal and move directly towards it. Taking long
routes will become a habit if you keep falling for it.

--

Teaching myriad sword techniques is essentially exploiting the Way as a commercial

venture. By bamboozling novices with countless moves, teachers make them believe
that their training method is profound. This approach in strategy should be rejected.

Beware of the fake gurus selling fancy, made-up formulas.

--

With a widened gaze, examine how the battle is progressing and search for moments of
strength and vulnerability. This is the surest way to victory. In both large- and small-scale
strategy, refrain from fixing your gaze narrowly. As I have written previously, focusing on
minute details will make you forget bigger issues. Your mind will become confused
and certain victory will slip from your reach.

--

The movements of a master in some discipline will not appear to be fast. For example,
there are messengers capable of covering 40-50 leagues [120-150 miles] in a day but they
are not running at full pace from morning to night. Tenderfoot runners will never cover
such a long distance even if they run all day.
When you master your craft, speed looks effortless, not effortful. Most people now-a-days just
want to look like they are putting in a lot of effort, they are trying to get it fast. But real speed
is not restless, it's smooth.

He who hurries falls down and will end up being too slow. Slowness is also not good.
Those who are highly accomplished may seem slow but they never lose their timing.
Whatever the case, a skilled practitioner never appears to be rushed.

--

In teaching my method of combat, those new to the Way are first taught techniques that
are easy to do and principles that are easy to grasp. Later, I impart deeper, more diverse
principles that students can pick up naturally as they progress down the path. Whatever
the case, experience [of actual combat] is the only way to remember the teachings.

Nothing beats the lessons learned from actual experience. Experiential knowledge gets
dissolved in the body while intellectual knowledge just resides in the memory of the mind.

--

Train like Musashi

He must seek to put the Way into practice each hour of every day without tiring or losing
focus.

Basically Musashi's entire life was training.

He must polish the two layers of his mind, the “heart of perception" and the “heart of
intent," and sharpen his two powers of observation, the gazes of kan (“looking in") and
ken (“looking at").

Hone your intellect as well as intuition.

He must recognize that the true Ether is where all the clouds of confusion have
completely lifted, leaving not a hint of haziness.

This is similar to what we know as the flow state in modern terms.

Make the sincere heart your Way as you practice strategy in its broadest sense, correctly
and lucidly. Ponder the Ether as you study the Way.
As you practice the Way, the Ether will open before you. There is Good, not Evil in the
Ether

There is Wisdom

There is Reason

There is the Way

The Mind, Empty

The Highlights and Notes are made by Kunal Sarkar. You can follow me on Twitter at
@KunalBSarkar. You can subscribe to his free newsletter at:

https://sarkar.blog/newsletter/

The books referenced are:

A Book Of Five Rings (The Classic Guide to Strategy) - Translated by Victor

Harris
The Complete Musashi: The Book of Five Rings and Other Works - Translated by
Alexander Bennett