Miyamoto Musashi: If You Know The Way Broadly You Will See It In Everything

The Way You Do Anything is the Way You Do Everything

Miyamoto Musashi (1582-1645) is the most famous Samurai who ever lived. He triumphed in more than 60 sword duels in his life, many of which ended in the death of his opponent. He was an unparalleled master of Bushido, the ancient code of the Japanese warrior. 

While he dedicated his life to “the art of the sword,” he also is considered by many to be a master of painting, gardening, dance, philosophy, strategy, and writing. The ladder is what he is most known for. Millions around the world have read his report, which survives today. Everyone from the highest achieving business executives, and professional athletes, to anyone pursuing excellence and mastery in life.

I have been reading and studying the work of Musashi for many years, but I have recently taken a deep dive into his writing. The main reason is that his work aligns well with the Laughing Stoic Buddha project. 

Musashi was a devoted student of Bushido, which incorporates Zen principles such as “no mind” into every endeavor in life. Most critically to the life-and-death encounter of a sword duel. This is why he is well respected by modern Stoics as well. Musahi’s philosophy wasn’t intellectual or purely theoretical; it was proven when one's life was on the line.     

We will cover Musahi’s philosophies periodically throughout the coming weeks of this newsletter. But today, I wanted to introduce one of his best-known quotes: “If you know the way broadly, you will see it in everything.” We will discuss this quote to build on the theme we introduced last week and will be focused on for the rest of the calendar year: Choosing and achieving worthy goals to live a meaningful life.

No, I’m not saying becoming a Samurai swordsman is the only worthy goal you can have to live a meaningful life. We obviously must take Musahi’s work and wisdom in the context of his historical period and culture. But Musashi's lessons, particularly this quote, are deeply relevant to finding and doing meaningful work today. 

“If You Know The Way Broadly, You Will See It In Everything” 

The Way You Do Anything is the Way You Do Everything 

Musashi often wrote about “The Way.” This term has its roots in many forms of eastern philosophy. In Taoism, it is called “The Tao.” In Zen, they drop “the” and call it “Zen.” There is no adequate definition of these terms, particularly in English. But we could attempt by saying: the fundamental force which underlines, holds, allows for, gives birth and expression to all things. 

When Musashi writes about The Way, he speaks about aligning and flowing with reality. He often wrote about the importance of cadence. He would note, “You must have the proper cadence to defeat your opponent. When they are fast, you must be slow; when they are slow, you must be fast. This is The Way.”  

Musashi points to connecting to the natural flow of life, often the opposite of your instinctual reaction. Not coming into battle with our idea of how it should go—but being fully present and responding to reality with equanimity and poise. Especially in the most seemingly disharmonious situations: a sword duel to the death.  

However, Musashi warns, it is not sufficient to only practice The Way when you are on the battlefield. This is a sure receipt for defeat. Instead, we must always practice The Way in everything we do, whether practicing sword, painting,  walking, speaking, eating, or even breathing. 

When we are continually present, paying attention to our state of being, and trying our best at whatever we are engaging in, we practice being at our best. We know what it feels like to be following The Way, and when we find ourselves in critical situations, our metaphorical sword fights to the death, and we can respond from this state. From The Way.      

I want to be clear, this Way of being doesn’t mean you’re always “redlining” it and giving an exhausted, all-out effort. Rest, recovery, stillness, and balance are just as critical. We must be masteries of rest, to be masteries of focused attention as well. The Way allies with nature. This means finding the balance that aligns with our natural state.   

Conclusion

Musashi chose the sword as his “One Thing,” but he used everything he did and studied to deepen his understanding of the sword. 

He better understood the cadence and footwork of a sword fight by fully dedicating himself to the study of dance. He better understood the most efficient and effective ways to swing his sword through deep dedication to the study of paintbrush strokes while painting and doing calligraphy.

What is your “one thing?” Writing? Music? Engineering? Plumbing? Teaching? Leadership? 

How can you approach everything you do as a way to deepen your understanding and performance of your “one thing?” And, in turn, better understand everything else in life. “If you know the way broadly, you will see it in everything.”  

The Way you do anything is the Way you do everything. This includes brushing teeth, listening to your partner, children, or friends, exercising, and doing the dishes. Everything is an opportunity to practice The Way. To be fully present and engaged while remaining equanimous and poised.

None of us will find ourselves in a sword duel to the death. Thank god. But we need to “show up” for challenging situations and circumstances. When we do, we will feel proud of ourselves and more confident if we are prepared. Musahi’s philosophy tells us that everything we do can be prepared for these “metaphorical sword fights.” This is The Way.