Imagine

a man who fought 61 duels with swords

and never lost a single one. Not once in

61 battles did he taste defeat. This man

walked through life with a level of

skill and focus that most people cannot

even imagine to do so. His name was

Miiamoto Mousashi and he is considered

the greatest swordsman in Japanese

history. But Mousashi was not just a

fighter. He was also a philosopher, a

strategist, an artist, and a writer. He

spent his life studying not only how to

win battles, but how to live with

purpose and clarity. One week before he

died, while living alone in a cave

called Reando, Mousashi wrote down 21

principles that had guided his life. He

called this document the docko, which

means the way of walking alone. These

were not rules he created for other

people. They were the principles he

himself had followed through decades of

wandering, fighting, and seeking

mastery. They were his final gift to the

world. written by a man who knew his

death was approaching and wanted to

leave behind something of value. Today I

want to share with you all 21 of these

principles. Some of them may seem

strange or extreme for modern life

because they were written by a warrior

who lived over 300 years ago. But within

each rule, there is wisdom that can help

us live with more discipline, more

freedom, and more peace. Number one,

accept everything just the way it is.

This is where mousashi begins and it is

perhaps the foundation of everything

that follows. Most of our suffering

comes from wanting reality to be

different than it is. We waste enormous

energy fighting against circumstances we

cannot change, complaining about

situations that simply are what they

are. The warrior cannot afford this kind

of resistance. If you are standing on a

battlefield and wishing the enemy were

weaker or the weather were better, you

have already lost. You must see clearly

what is in front of you and respond to

that, not to what you wish were in front

of you. In daily life, this means

accepting your starting point without

resentment. Accept your current skills,

your current resources, your current

circumstances.

This acceptance is not giving up. It is

simply seeing clearly so that you can

act effectively.

Number two, do not seek pleasure for its

own sake. We live in a time when

pleasure is available constantly and

without effort. Entertainment, food,

comfort, and stimulation are always

within reach. Many people structure

their entire lives around seeking the

next pleasant sensation. Mousashi saw

danger in this way of living. When

pleasure becomes your purpose, something

inside you begins to hollow out. You

become weaker, more dependent, and less

capable of enduring difficulty.

This does not mean you should never

enjoy anything. It means that pleasure

should not be your aim. Let pleasure

come as a natural result of good work,

meaningful relationships, and a life

lived with purpose.

Number three, do not under any

circumstances depend on a partial

feeling. Partial feelings are those

uncertain emotions that pull you in

different directions. You sort of want

something, but you're not sure. You kind

of feel one way, but also feel another.

For a swordsman, acting on partial

feelings means hesitation, and

hesitation in battle means death. You

must be fully committed to your action

or not act at all. In our lives,

depending on partial feelings leads to

weak decisions that we do not follow

through on. We start projects we

abandon. We make commitments we do not

keep. We say yes when we mean maybe.

When you act, act with your whole being.

When you decide, decide completely. Do

not let uncertain feelings pull you into

half-hearted actions that serve no one.

Number four, think lightly of yourself

and deeply of the world. Look around you

today and you will see people obsessed

with themselves. They spend hours

crafting their image on social media,

thinking about how they appear to

others, worrying about their status and

reputation. Mousashi taught the

opposite. Think lightly of yourself and

deeply of the world. When you think too

much about yourself, you stop learning.

You become defensive and closed. Your

world shrinks to the tiny space of your

own ego. When you think deeply about the

world, you become curious and open. You

notice things that self-absorbed people

miss. You learn from everything around

you because you are paying attention to

something larger than yourself. This is

one of the most powerful shifts you can

make in how you live. Number five, be

detached from desire your whole

lifelong.

Desire is like a cup that can never be

filled. You achieve what you want and

immediately there is something new to

want. You acquire what you longed for

and the satisfaction fades within days

or weeks. Mousashi is not saying you

should have no goals or ambitions. He's

saying you should not let desire control

you. You should not let your peace of

mind depend on getting what you want.

When you are detached from desire, you

can still work toward things, but you

are not desperate. You are not

suffering. You can enjoy the pursuit

without being enslaved by the outcome.

Number six, do not regret what you have

done. Regret is poison that spreads

through your mind and weakens everything

it touches. When you constantly look

backward and wish you had acted

differently, you lose the ability to act

effectively in the present.

Mousashi made decisions and lived with

them. He did not waste time wishing he

had done something else. What was done

was done. This does not mean you should

not learn from mistakes. Learn the

lesson but then release the regret.

Carrying regret serves no purpose except

to burden you and distract you from what

you must do now. Number seven, never be

jealous. Jealousy comes from comparing

yourself to others and feeling that they

have something you deserve. It is a

useless emotion that changes nothing

about your situation while making you

miserable. The warrior walks his own

path. He does not look sideways at what

others have achieved or received. He

focuses entirely on his own journey and

his own development. When you feel

jealousy rising, remember that you do

not know the full story of anyone else's

life. You do not know what they

sacrificed, what they suffer, or what

burdens they carry. Walk your own path

and let others walk theirs.

Number eight, never let yourself be

saddened by your separation. Masashi was

a wandering samurai who never stayed in

one place for long. If he had allowed

every goodbye to weaken him, he would

have spent his life in sorrow. This rule

is difficult for most of us because we

form deep attachments to people and

places. But there is wisdom here.

Separation is part of life. People

leave, relationships end, and

circumstances change. You can feel the

natural sadness of parting without

letting it defeat you. Honor what was

shared and then continue forward. Do not

let separation stop you from living

fully. Number nine, resentment and

complaint are appropriate neither for

oneself nor others. Resenting people and

complaining about situations are perhaps

the most useless ways you can spend your

time and energy. They change absolutely

nothing about your circumstances while

draining your strength and poisoning

your mind. When you catch yourself

complaining, ask what purpose it serves.

When you notice resentment building, ask

what good it will do. Almost always the

answer is none. The warrior uses his

energy for action, not for complaint. If

something can be changed, change it. If

it cannot be changed, accept it.

Complaining falls into neither category

and helps no one. Number 10, do not let

yourself be guided by the feeling of

lust or love. This is one of the more

extreme rules and it makes sense for a

warrior who needed complete focus and

freedom of movement. Attachments of the

heart can cloud judgment and limit

options. For most of us living ordinary

lives, love is something precious that

gives meaning to our days. But there is

still wisdom here. Do not let these

powerful emotions make your decisions

for you. Do not let lust lead you into

foolishness or let attachment make you

weak and dependent. Feel these emotions,

but do not be controlled by them. You

should guide your feelings rather than

letting your feelings guide you. Number

11. In all things, have no preferences.

When you have rigid preferences, you

close yourself off from much of life.

You only want things a certain way. And

when they are not that way, you suffer.

Mousashi cultivated a mind that was open

to all possibilities. He did not demand

that life arrange itself according to

his preferences. He adapted to whatever

came. This flexibility is a tremendous

strength. The person with no preferences

can find value in any situation, learn

from any circumstance, and remain at

peace no matter how things unfold.

Number 12, be indifferent to where you

live. As a wandering samurai, Mousashi

could not afford to be attached to any

particular place. He needed to be

comfortable everywhere and dependent on

nowhere. Many people today blame their

location for their problems. They

believe they could succeed if only they

lived somewhere else. But more often

than not, it is how you live that

matters, not where you live. Do not let

your peace of mind depend on being in a

particular place. Learn to find

contentment wherever you are. Number 13.

Do not pursue the taste of good food.

This connects to the earlier rule about

not seeking pleasure for its own sake.

When eating becomes entertainment rather

than nourishment, something has gone

wrong. Food should fuel your body and

support your health. It can certainly be

enjoyed, but chasing delicious tastes as

a primary pursuit leads to imbalance and

often to poor health. Eat simply. Eat to

nourish yourself. Let the pleasure of

food be a secondary benefit rather than

the main purpose. Number 14. Do not hold

on to possessions you no longer need.

People accumulate things they never use

and then refuse to let them go. These

possessions take up space in their homes

and in their minds. They become a burden

rather than a benefit. Mousashi traveled

light because he had to. But even those

of us with permanent homes can benefit

from this principle.

Let go of what you do not need. Keep

only what serves a purpose or brings

genuine value to your life. When you own

less, you feel lighter and freer. your

mind becomes less cluttered along with

your space. Number 15, do not act

following customary beliefs. Most people

believe what they believe because

everyone around them believes the same

thing. They have never examined their

assumptions or questioned whether the

common way is actually the right way.

Mousashi was an independent thinker who

formed his own understanding through

direct experience. He did not accept

ideas simply because they were popular

or traditional. Think for yourself.

Question what you have been told. Have

reasons for your beliefs that go beyond

everyone else thinks this way. Number

16. Do not collect weapons or practice

with weapons beyond what is useful for a

swordsman. This is practical advice

about focus. Do not become distracted by

collecting fancy weapons. Do not

practice techniques just for show. Train

only what is actually useful in real

situations.

For us, this principle applies to many

areas. Do not accumulate tools and

equipment you will never use. Do not

develop skills just to impress people.

Focus on what actually matters and what

you will actually use. Number 17, do not

fear death. A warrior who fears death

will hesitate at the crucial moment. He

will hold back when he should commit

fully. His fear will make him a worse

fighter and will likely bring about the

very death he fears. Mousashi faced

death 61 times in duels and countless

more times in other situations. He

learned that fearing death serves no

purpose because death comes for everyone

eventually. When you accept that you

will die someday, you can live more

fully today. The fear of death often

prevents people from truly living.

Release that fear and you may find your

life becomes richer and more courageous.

Number 18. Do not seek to possess either

goods or thiefs for your old age.

Throughout your life, you can accumulate

wealth and property, but what good will

it do you when you die? You cannot take

it with you. Mashi warns against

spending your life gathering possessions

for a future that may never come as you

imagine it. Be useful now. Live fully

now. Do not postpone life while you

stockpile things. This does not mean you

should be irresponsible about the

future. It means you should not let the

accumulation of possessions become your

life's purpose. Number 19, respect

Buddha and the gods without counting on

their help. This rule contains profound

wisdom about the relationship between

faith and action. Mousashi respected the

spiritual traditions of his culture, but

he did not sit around waiting for divine

help. Many people use faith as an excuse

for passivity. They pray for change, but

take no action. They hope for miracles

but make no effort. Respect whatever

higher power you believe in. But take

responsibility for your own life. Do the

work yourself. Make things happen

through your own effort. Do not wait for

the gods to solve your problems.

Number 20. You may abandon your own

body, but you must preserve your honor.

For the samurai, honor was more

important than life itself. They would

rather die than live with shame. In our

time, the idea of honor has faded.

People do whatever benefits them without

much thought about integrity or

reputation. But there is something

valuable being lost here. Your honor is

how you will be remembered. It is the

legacy you leave behind. Only do things

that you could live with for the rest of

your life. Only act in ways that would

make your ancestors proud and that would

serve as a good example for those who

come after you. Number 21. Never stray

from the way. This final rule is both

simple and profound. Once you have found

your path, stay on it. Do not let

distractions, difficulties, or

temptations pull you away from what you

are meant to be doing. If you abandon

your path every time things get hard,

you never really had commitment in the

first place. The way is not supposed to

be easy. Staying on it when it becomes

difficult is the whole point. Mousashi

followed the way of the sword his entire

life. He never strayed, never gave up,

and never stopped developing. This

consistency is what made him a legend.

These 21 rules were written by a man who

had tested them through decades of real

experience. They are not theories or

pleasant ideas. They are principles

forged in actual combat and actual

hardship. Not every rule will apply

perfectly to your modern life. You are

probably not a wandering samurai who

fights duels with swords. But within

these ancient words, there is timeless

wisdom about discipline, focus,

acceptance, and honor. Perhaps one or

two of these rules speak to you more

than the others. If so, take those rules

and make them part of how you live. Let

them guide you when decisions are

difficult. Let them remind you of what

matters when the world tries to distract

you. Mousashi wrote these words knowing

he would die soon. He wanted to leave

behind something that would help others

walk their own paths with more strength

and clarity. 300 years later, his words

still have that power. Thank you for

learning about the do with me today. I

hope Mousashi's wisdom helps you find

your own way. Take good care of

yourself.