3 Teachings from Miyamoto Musashi on Self-Awareness

6/6/2023

3 Teachings from Miyamoto Musashi on Self-Awareness

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What does Miyamoto Musashi Say about
Self-Awareness?

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645 CE) was a legendary samurai, winner of over 60 duels, and quite possibly the greatest swordsman to ever live. Throughout The Book of Five Rings, his masterful manual on swordsmanship, one cannot stress enough that, through his teachings, Musashi had a deep sense of self-awareness and a keen understanding of human psychology.
His teachings are numerous, and there is a bounty of practical advice within them; I would like to focus on three of his teachings about the power of self-awareness.

1. Observe "reflectively."

The genius of Musashi can be founded in a myriad of teachings, but there is one key virtue that is apparent in his work. That is, Miyamoto Musashi was a man who understood himself deeply. So what did he mean by observing “reflectively?”
In his text, Musashi explains that a reflective observer is one who is overall aware of the large and the small matters in their life. In this section, he is likening the inner individual to battle, single and large combat. But one must become aware of the conflicts within their own self, both large and small. Individuals must be able to introspectively look clearly at themselves at all times.

2. Understanding others to understand the self.

One thing is evident not only in The Book of Five Rings, but in the legendary ronin’s life, as well: Musashi understood people. It was common for him to psyche out his opponents by appearing hours late to duels, enraging them and causing them to become cloudy-minded.
Though the text is technically a manual on his unique two-sword Twin Skies style, it is actually closer to a study on the psychology of conflict. In understanding the things that caused his opponents to falter and be defeated, Musashi became resolutely aware of who he was through his observations of others, seeing what qualities and attitudes to stay away from. He not only used his understanding of conflict to gain victory over his enemies, but also to sharpen and hone himself.

3. "Be careful even in small matters."

Observation was one of the key attributes that led the genius warrior to legend. Musashi took nothing for granted and tried his best to understand things clearly. He understood that his path to excellence—what he refers to as martial science and martial arts—was paved in taking nothing for granted and exercising caution to contemplate and react to everything, large or small, with integrity and impunity. This single quote encapsulates Musashi’s teachings on self-awareness, demonstrating his constant state of watchfulness and careful observance of both himself and the people around him. He took notes, so to say, and learned to be the better for it.

Musashi was an interesting warrior-philosopher who any and everyone could benefit from reading and contemplating the words of. He wasn’t just the greatest swordsman to ever live, but also a deeply insightful philosopher who understood how people operate. Today, almost five hundred years after his death, his sagely words inspire people of all walks of life to live a life of excellence—the same excellence that led Musashi to victory over sixty times, and marked him a legend.