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Thoughts

Exceptional Quotes

• This is the Way for men who want to learn my strategy:
  • Do not think dishonestly.
  • The Way is in training.
  • Become aquainted 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.

Table of Contents

• Translator's Introduction
• Introduction
• The Ground Book
• The Water Book
• The Fire Book
• The Wind Book
• The Book of the Void

· Translator’s Introduction

page 4:

• Where a Westerner might say “The pen is mightier than the sword”, the Japanese would say “Bunbu Ichi”, or Pen and sword in accord".

page 5:

• To sum up, Musashi was a ronin at the time when the samurai were formally considered to be the elite, but actually had no means of livelihood unless they owned lands and castles.

· Introduction

· Ground Book

page 10:

• Stategy is the craft of the warrior.

• It is said the warrior’s is the twofold Way of pen and sword, and he should have a taste for both Ways.

• Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.

page 13:

• You must appreciate that spirit can become big or small. What is big is easy to perceive: what is small is difficult to perceive. In short, it is difficult for large numbers of men to change position, so their movements can be easily predicted. An individual can easily change his mind, so his movements are difficult to predict.

• It is difficult to know yourself if you do not know others. To all Ways there are side-tracks. If you study a Way daily, and your spirit diverges, you may think you are obeying a good way, but objectively it is not the true Way. If you are following the true Way and diverge a little, this will later become a large divergence.

page 16:

• This is the Way for men who want to learn my strategy:
  • Do not think dishonestly.
  • The Way is in training.
  • Become aquainted 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.

· Water Book

page 19:

• Adopt a stance with the head erect, neither hanging down, nor looking up, nor twisted.

• it is necessary to maintain the combat stance in everyday life and to make your everyday stance your combat stance.

page 27:

• Today is victory over yourself of yesterday

· Fire Book

page 31:

• “To know the times” means to know the enemy’s disposition in battle. Is is flourishing or waning? By observing the spirit of the enemy’s men and getting the best position, you can work out the enemy’s disposition and move your men accordingly.

· Wind Book

page 39:

• Without knowledge of the Ways of other schools, it is difficult to understand the essence of my Ichi school. Looking at other schools

· Book of the Void

page 46:

• 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.