Before we read the best motivational Miyamato Musashi Quotes, Let’s also know a it more about him!
Miyamoto Musashi (Born: March 1584, Harima Province, Died: 13 June 1645, Higo Province) was also known as Shinmen Takezō or Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, He was one of the greatest Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin
Motivational and Powerful Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
1 “The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant.” -Miyamoto Musashi
2. “Determine that today you will overcome yourself of the day before, tomorrow you will win over those of lesser skill, and later you will win over those of greater skill.” – Miyamoto Musashi
3. “It may seem difficult at first but everything is difficult at first.” -Miyamoto Musashi
4. “In fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm.” – Miyamoto Musashi
5. “Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie.” – Miyamoto Musashi
6. “Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death.” -Miyamoto Musashi
7. “Do not let the body be dragged along by mind nor be dragged along by the body.” – Miyamoto Musashi
8. “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.” – Miyamoto Musashi
9. “If you wish to control others you must first control yourself.” – Miyamoto Musashi
10. “Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior.” -Miyamoto Musashi
11. “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Miyamoto Musashi
12. “When you attain the Way of strategy there will not be one thing you cannot see. You must study hard.” – Miyamoto Musashi
13. “Control your anger. If you hold anger toward others, they have control over you. Your opponent can dominate and defeat you if you allow him to get you irritated.” – Inspirational Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
14. “If you know the Way broadly, you will see it in everything.” – Miyamoto Musashi Thoughts and Sayings
15. “The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time.” – Miyamoto Musashi
16. “Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” – Miyamoto Musashi
17. “Never accept an inferior position to anyone. It is the strongest spirit that wins, not the most expensive sword.” – Miyamoto Musashi
18. “Do nothing which is of no use.”- Miyamoto Musashi
19. “You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain.” – Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
20. “When you cannot be deceived by me, you will have realized the wisdom of strategy.” – Miyamoto Musashi
21. “You must not be influenced by the opponent.” – Miyamoto Musashi
22. “The approach to combat and everyday life should be the same.” – Miyamoto Musashi
23. “The Way is in training.” – Miyamoto Musashi
24. “Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.” – Miyamoto Musashi
25. “To win any battle, you must fight as if you are already dead.” – Miyamoto Musashi
26. “Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of man.” – Miyamoto Musashi
27. “No fear, no hesitation, no surprise, no doubt.” – Miyamoto Musashi
28. “A man cannot understand the art he is studying if he only looks for the end result without taking the time to delve deeply into the reasoning of the study.” -Miyamoto Musashi
29. “I choose to live by choice, not by chance.” – Miyamoto Musashi
30. “With your spirit open and unconstricted, look at things from a high point of view.” Miyamoto Musashi
31. “You can only fight the way you practice.” – Miyamoto Musashi
32. “One thousand days of lessons for discipline; ten thousand days of lessons for mastery.” – Miyamoto Musashi
33. “There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.” – Miyamoto Musashi
34. “One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk.” – Miyamoto Musashi
35. “If there isn’t discipline, how can there be a true realization of an ideal?” -Miyamoto Musashi
36 – “If you wish to control others you must first control yourself”
37 – “Be indifferent to where you live.”
38 – “You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor”
39 – “Never be jealous, Never stray from the Way, Never let yourself be saddened by a separation” – Miyamoto Musashi
40 – “Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others” – Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
41 – “Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need” – Miyamoto Musashi
About his famous Book Musashi
History behind him: – Miyamoto Musashi is the product of a very long period of civil conflict.
He was actually tricked by the military to get involved in Sekigahara war. The war ended in a defeat and he was taken captive by some unarmed monk. Otsu helped him escape from the punishment but he was recaptured and held captive though.
He is finally released again and where he spends years searching for his objective and purpose in life. He endeavours to hone his crafts and skills constantly and because of his relentless persistence he ends up mastering a unique, two-sword fighting style. He embarks on a journey taking on warriors afterward. He thrived in his battles because of his strategies and skills. After that, he finds the way to deal and get some peace for himself.
Some more notable Miyamoto Musashi Quotes from his books
Musashi Miyamoto Quotes, The Commandment Of Samurai
“Under no circumstances, depend on a partial feeling
Do not regret what you have done
Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need
Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age
Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love”
“Don’t pursue the taste of good food
Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful
Do not fear death
Do not seek pleasure for its own sake
Do not act following customary beliefs
Do nothing that is of no use
Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals”
“Never be jealous, Never stray from the Way, Never let yourself be saddened by a separation” –
“Be detached from desire your whole life long.” – Powerful Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
“Control your anger. If you hold anger toward others, they have control over you. Your opponent can dominate and defeat you if you allow him to get you irritated.” – Miyamoto Musashi Thoughts and Sayings
“There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within. Everything exists. Seek nothing outside of yourself.”
“Whatever the Way, the master of strategy does not appear fast….Of course, slowness is bad. Really skillful people never get out of time, and are always deliberate, and never appear busy.”
“If you wish to control others you must first control yourself”
“You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. Without imitating anyone else, you should have as much weaponry as suits you.”
“The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them.” – Miyamoto Musashi
In battle, if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.”
“You can only fight the way you practice”
“The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy’s cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him.”
“Get beyond love and grief: exist for the good of Man.”
“The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.”
“Aspire to be like Mt. Fuji, with such a broad and solid foundation that the strongest earthquake cannot move you, and so tall that the greatest enterprises of common men seem insignificant from your lofty perspective. With your mind as high as Mt Fuji you can see all things clearly. And you can see all the forces that shape events; not just the things happening near to you.”
“The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy’s useful actions but allow his useless actions”
“When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy…attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last.”
“There is no one way to salvation, whatever the manner in which a man may proceed. All forms and variations are governed by the eternal intelligence of the Universe that enables a man to approach perfection. It may be in the arts of music and painting or it may be in commerce, law, or medicine. It may be in the study of war or the study of peace. Each is as important as any other. Spiritual enlightenment through religious meditation such as Zen or in any other way is as viable and functional as any “Way.”. A person should study as they see fit.”
Miyamoto Musashi Quotes (Five Rings Quotes)
“To win any battle, you must fight as if you are already dead”
“It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.”
“Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to life.”
“Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.”
“Know your enemy, know his sword.”
“Accept everything just the way it is” – Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
“Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others”
“Be indifferent to where you live.”
“In all things have no preferences”
“Musashi Quotes And Sayings About Believe” – Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
“Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help”
“Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world”
“It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet”
“You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor”
“Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.” – Miyamoto Musashi Quotes
“You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain”
Musashi Trivia
Did you know?
Charles S. Terry was the man who translated Musashi into English in 1981. The original book was first published in 1935 in Japanese. Book requires you to be patient to enjoy this brilliant book. The book has 984 pages. If you are passionate about Japanese swortmen stories or culture or sumurai stories then it is a must read for you.
