Miyamoto Musashi did not specifically use the term “continuous learning,” but his teachings in the Book of Five Rings convey the idea of constant growth and self-improvement.

He wrote: “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.

“There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything.”

Embrace the mindset of adaptation and learning from different situations. A study of other arts and professions might not get one out of a crisis, but it can broaden perspective, and lead to insights that can be applied to their primary discipline.
Each profession has its specific ways or techniques. Here I will outline 10 and what they can teach.

1. Musicians: They demonstrate the importance of practice and dedication. They highlight creativity, collaboration, and effective communication.
2. Athletes: They demonstrate discipline, perseverance, goal-setting, and teamwork. They also teach us how to handle pressure, manage time, and maintain a healthy lifestyle through exercise, good food, and sleep.
3. Chefs: They demonstrate passion and precision. They emphasize the value of using high-quality ingredients, mastering various techniques, and adapting to different tastes and preferences.
4. Architects: They demonstrate the importance of planning, attention to detail, and the balance between aesthetics and functionality. They show the value of considering the environment and understanding the needs of clients.
5. Scientists: They demonstrate the value of curiosity, critical thinking, and systematic problem-solving. They emphasize the value of research, innovation, perseverance in the face of challenges, and respect for the achievements of other scientists past and present.
6. Teachers: From them we learn the power of empathy, effective communication, and adaptability. They also teach us the importance of continuous learning, patience, and inspiring others.
7. Visual artists: They showcase the power of creativity, self-expression, and perspective. They also teach us the value of experimentation, resilience, and the ability to find beauty in the ordinary.
8. Writers: They exemplify the power of storytelling, imagination, and the magic of language. They also highlight the importance of discipline, self-reflection, and the ability to connect with diverse audiences.
9. Entrepreneurs: They teach us the value of risk-taking, resilience, and adaptability. They also emphasize the importance of networking, resourcefulness, and strategic thinking.
10. Healthcare professionals. They highlight the importance of empathy, compassion, and effective communication. They also show the value of staying updated on the latest research, maintaining a strong work ethic, and a deep concern for patient well-being.

Musashi’s philosophy encourages practitioners to strive for mastery in their chosen art or discipline. Mastery goes through a long process that begins with imitating the methods of the master, passes through mastering technique, and ends with innovating new methods. At every stage one must be humble and open, and show a desire to persevere through the inevitable obstacles along the way.

Finally, we get an important from the Japanese word for work: shigoto. Literally, this means “a service done for others”. There are few better ways to illustrate the concept than by describing what Japanese train operators do when the train is late: they apologize to the passengers.

At the heart of continuous learning is love for work. A love that does not count the cost or the time. Continuous learning is a way of life. It is as natural as breathing.

(Q.C. 230317)

While Musashi didn’t explicitly use the term “adaptability,” he discussed the concept in various ways throughout the book, especially in the chapter on the Water Ring.

One of Musashi’s key teachings is the principle of “suitedness” or “fittingness” (also translated as “accord” or “harmony”). He advised practitioners to adapt their techniques and strategies to fit the specific circumstances and conditions of a given situation. In other words, one should be flexible and versatile to achieve success in combat and in life.

Musashi advised to perceive those things which cannot be seen and to pay attention even to trifles. This is not really possible unless one did NOT think.

A violinist does not think about the position of her fingers; once she becomes conscious of it, she is very likely to make a mistake. By not thinking about her fingers, she can perceive the mood of her listeners, and even when a string might break, none of this consciously. She never tells herself, “I see they don’t like what they’re hearing.”

There may be moments when she is so focused she perceives nothing else but her music. This may be good at some points in the performance, but in martial arts it can be dangerous to have tunnel vision as it might blind you to a flanking attack. This does not mean one cannot have focus.

Here is another story of mushin, no-mind, from the Edo period.

Once there lived a great Japanese chef who happened to fall on the bad side of an arrogant samurai. The latter challenged the chef to a duel of swords; the chef accepted. The problem is he did not know how to use the sword.

So he asks a friend for advice. The friend, a wise samurai, said “This is what you are to do. You must hold the sword above your head like so. Then keep your eyes on your opponent. The moment he steps in, and only then, strike down.”

“Nothing else?”

“Nothing else. You are a great chef. You have everything you need to fight him.”

The day of the duel came. The chef and the arrogant samurai face off, a small crowd in attendance. With sword ready, the samurai slowly circled the chef looking for an opening. The chef just kept his eyes on the samurai, following his movements, sword held steady above his head in striking position. After some time of this the arrogant samurai decided to call it off, sheathed his sword, and left. The chef also put down his sword, gave it to his friend, and also left.

While they were alone, the samurai’s assistant asked, “Sensei, why did you leave the duel? You know the chef doesn’t know how to use the sword.”

“It is true he doesn’t know how to use the sword. But he is a great chef, he knows how to use his mind. Did you see his concentration? I knew for certain that I would not survive the moment I fell within his range.”

Musashi stressed the importance of continuous learning and improvement. He advised students to seek knowledge from various sources and not to limit themselves to a single style or tradition. This openness to learning and growth contributes to one’s adaptability, allowing one to incorporate new techniques and ideas into their own practice.

Adaptability is the image of Water. Water takes the shape of its container. Try to hold it and it just flows through your fingers. It is can be as gentle as a light shower, or as violent as a tsunami.

Be water.

(Q.C. 230316)

Miyamoto Musashi’s philosophy on self-awareness is rooted in martial arts and strategy. I will use this as the context, although it will be clear that the insights apply to personal growth and self-improvement.

Self-awareness is about knowing oneself. You know your strengths and weaknesses, physical, mental, and emotional. You know your skills, knowledge, virtues and vices. Self-awareness implies your are honest about them, as only true knowledge allows you to use them effectively in real situations, to evaluate your performance, and to identify areas for improvement.

Martial arts develop physical, mental, and emotional discipline. To your understanding of your body’s capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses you also add the feedback of your coach or sensei. Practice leads to better technique, and improves movement, balance, and coordination.

Discipline and perseverance involve overcoming challenges and pushing through physical and mental barriers to increase your strengths and to decrease your weaknesses. Exposure to a variety of obstacles enables the martial artist to test his skills in techniques and to match them to the situation. A martial artist uses success and failure as feedback, perhaps the failure being the more informative.

Martial arts also train you to manage your emotions, especially in high-pressure situations. Fear can paralyze you. Or distract you from your goal, sap your strength, lead you to defeat via the path of least resistance. Something as simple as eye contact with a bigger person can trigger fear. Martial artists learn not to bury fear under the rug, but to recognize it, to use it as a sensor for information you need to craft an effective response.

Many martial arts include mindfulness and meditation practices. These practices train you to be comfortable with your body, mind, and heart, to be confident regardless of what you might feel or think. It is said that samurai are trained not to think about death, but only about cutting. How do they train themselves? By thinking about death all the time. They are already dead even before a battle starts.

Martial arts emphasize humility and respect for others, especially to one’s superiors. The learner goes through imitation, practice, and innovation — a proud student will not get past imitation. If he reaches innovation, the proud student will think there is nothing amiss with his idea whatsoever. Humility and respect make it possible to learn from one’s opponents, who often fill gaps that friends are just too familiar to provide.

Sparring and competitions allow you to test your skills in unscripted situations. I know someone who deliberately picked fights just to practice; I presume he found sparring still too simulated.
By consistently practicing martial arts and exercising discipline, humility, and mindfulness, your body, mind, and heart will achieve power through choreography. One who uses brute force with bad form is inferior to one who applies moderate force with precise form. Especially if that precision is not the result of conscious thinking.

This is mushin.

I conclude this commentary with Musashi’s advice to do nothing which is of no use.

There is in the world gain and loss. Although different people will value them differently, for every person a clear distinction between gain and loss is defined by that person’s goals. An action either leads to the person’s goal or away from it. Although a person may choose to move away from a minor goal, he does so with potentially great damage with regard to an important goal.

With respect to the highest goals, an action away from it can set the person on the path to losing his ideals. Such ideals define us so well that to lose them would mean losing our life, through a process of bleeding out. Character is like precious fluid stored in fragile vessels of clay that can break. Training aims to make this vessel stronger or to keep it away from such dangers. But all that training fails if the vessel intentionally or by weakness pokes holes in itself. The only recourse is to repair.

But it’s far cheaper to not even think a dishonest or ignoble thought. Have you heard of the 1-10-100 rule? It costs $1 to prevent damage, $10 to repair it, and $100 to repair the damage done to the world by a broken machine.

Hence, do nothing which is of no use.

(Q.C. 230315)

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) was a legendary swordsman, philosopher, and strategist. His birth name was Shinmen Takezō, but he became known as Miyamoto Musashi after adopting the name of his home province.

Musashi was trained in swordsmanship from an early age. He fought his first duel at the age of 13, defeating a skilled opponent, which marked the beginning of his long and storied career as a duelist. Over his lifetime, Musashi is said to have engaged in over 60 duels, undefeated.

Musashi traveled across Japan throughout his life, challenging and defeating skilled swordsmen and refining his own techniques. He developed a fighting style that used two swords simultaneously, known as Niten Ichi-ryū. This style became one of his most significant contributions to Japanese martial arts.

Musashi was also a philosopher and artist. He is most famous for his work, “The Book of Five Rings” (Go Rin No Sho), a treatise on strategy, tactics, and martial arts philosophy. Written towards the end of his life, the book has become a classic and remains influential in various fields, including business and military strategy.

“The Book of Five Rings” (Go Rin No Sho) is divided into five sections or “rings.” Each ring represents an element in nature and a corresponding aspect of warfare.

1. Earth Ring: This section covers the basics of martial arts and the foundations of strategy. Musashi emphasizes understanding one’s own abilities and limitations, as well as those of the opponent, to achieve victory.
2. Water Ring: Focused on fluidity and adaptability, this ring teaches the importance of adjusting one’s techniques to different situations. It also discusses the concept of “no-mind” (mushin), where a warrior acts intuitively and spontaneously without conscious thought.
3. Fire Ring: This section deals with the heat of battle and the need for decisive action. Musashi explains the importance of speed, timing, and taking the initiative to seize control of a fight.
4. Wind Ring: Here, Musashi examines the various martial arts styles and their strengths and weaknesses. He encourages the reader to learn from other styles but cautions against becoming attached to a single approach.
5. Void Ring: The final section is a reflection on the nature of existence and the transcendent aspects of martial arts. Musashi delves into the idea that a true warrior must move beyond technique to reach a state of spiritual enlightenment.

Miyamoto Musashi’s philosophy emphasizes adaptability, self-awareness, and continuous learning to achieve mastery in combat and life. I will discuss these aspects in the following four posts, ending with the concept of mushin, the aim of all training. In order:

A. Self awareness

1. Do not think dishonestly.
2. Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters.
3. Do nothing which is of no use.

B. Adaptability

1. Perceive those things which cannot be seen.
2. Pay attention even to trifles.
3. Develop intuitive judgment and understanding for everything.

C. Continuous learning

1. The Way is in training.
2. Become acquainted with every art.
3. Know the Ways of all professions.

D. No-mind, mushin

Miyamoto Musashi died in 1645 at the age of 61, probably of an illness, having spent the last years of his life in solitude, focusing on meditation, writing, and perfecting his martial arts. He died in a cave known as the Reigandō, located in the mountains near Kumamoto, Japan.