What are the 21 Principles for Life by Miyamoto Musashi (Dokkodo) and how can they help you?

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Miyamoto Musashi was a legendary Japanese swordsman, philosopher, and strategist. He is best known for his undefeated record in over 60 duels, as well as his written work on swordsmanship, namely: The Book of Five Rings.

In addition to his martial arts prowess, Musashi was also a deeply spiritual man who was influenced by Zen Buddhism.

In the last week of his life, he wrote a short work called Dokkodo, which translates to "The Way of Walking Alone." Dokkodo contains 21 principles that Musashi believed were essential for living a meaningful and fulfilling life.

The 21 principles of Dokkodo are:

🔘 Accept everything just the way it is.

🔘 Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.

🔘 Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.

🔘 Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

🔘 Be detached from desire your whole life long.

🔘 Do not regret what you have done.

🔘 Never be jealous.

🔘 Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.

🔘 Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.

🔘 Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.

🔘 In all things have no preferences.

🔘 Be indifferent to where you live.

🔘 Do not pursue the taste of good food.

🔘 Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.

🔘 Do not act following customary beliefs.

🔘 Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.

🔘 Do not fear death.

🔘 Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.

🔘 Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.

🔘 You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor.

🔘 Never stray from the Way.



The 21 principles of Dokkodo can help you in many ways. They can help you to:

🔘 Accept yourself and the world around you for what they are.

🔘 Find joy in the simple things in life.

🔘 Make decisions based on logic and reason, not emotion.

🔘 Be humble and open to learning.

🔘 Be content with what you have.

🔘 Live a life of purpose and meaning.



If you are looking for a guide to living a more meaningful and fulfilling life, I encourage you to read Dokkodo. It is a short but powerful work that can offer you valuable insights into the art of living.

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Christian Jacques Bennett

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Search Terms: Self Improvement, Japanese Wisdom, Miyamoto Musashi, Martial Arts, Samaurai, Life Lessons, Introvert.
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