Philosophy of the Sword (Bushido & Zen)

The following post is dedicated to the Way of the Sword (or Bushido). It discusses the sword philosophies of Miyamoto Musashi and Yagyu Munenori who were influenced by Zen.



I think Jin Yong (a famous martial arts fiction writer) was personally inspired by Miyamoto Musashi and Yagyu Munenori when he created his uber-powerful character Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai (who happened to be the #1 swordsman in his novels).



Sword Demon Dugu is said to have reached the highest levels of swordsmanship. His two main sword philosophies are "overcoming a sword without a sword" and "no pattern beats any pattern", both of which can also be found in the writings of Musashi and Munenori. "Overcoming a sword without a sword" is very similar to the philosophies found in Musashi's Emptiness Scroll and Munenori's No-Sword. While the "no pattern beats any pattern" is found in some of the techniques in Musashi's Water Scroll. There are many other accounts of "enlightened swordsmen" in fiction but it is Musashi and Munenori who represent the real-life spiritual warriors.



Both Musashi and Munenori combined Zen philosophy with their swordplay. The famous Zen phrase "form is emptiness, emptiness is form" rings true in their writings. The following are some of my favorite sword philosophies (and tactics) from the real-life Sword Demons Musashi and Munenori.



Miyamoto Musashi's Go Rin No Sho - Book of the Five Rings (translated by Thomas Cleary)

The following are found in The Water Scroll in the Go Rin No Sho.

"Striking down an opponent in a single beat" - among the rhythms used to strike an opponent, there is what is called a single beat. Finding a position where you can reach the opopnent, realizing when the opponent has not yet determined what to do, you strike directly, as fast as possible, wihtout moving your body or fixing your attention.

"Striking Without Thought and Without Form" - When your opponent is going to strike, and you are also going to strike, your body is on the offensive, and your mind is also on the offensive; your hands come spontaneously from space, striking with added speed and force. This is called striking without thought or form, and is the most important stroke.

"The Flowing Water Stroke" - is used when you are going toe to toe with an opponent, when the opponent tries to pull away quickly, dodge quickly, or parry your sword quickly: becoming expansive in body and mind, you swing your sword from behind you in an utterly relaxed manner, as if there were some hestitation, and strike with a large and power stroke.

"The Rhythm of the Second Spring" - when you are about to strike and the opponent quickly pulls back or parries; you feint a blow, and then strike the opponent as he relaxes after tensing.

Yagyu Munenori's Book of Family Traditions

"The Vanguard of the Moment" - The vanguard of the moment is before the opponent has begun to make a move. This first impulse of movement is the energy, feeling, or mood, held back in the chest. The dynamic of the movement is energy, feeling, or mood. To accurately see an opponents' energy, feeling, and mood, and to act accordingly in their presence, is called the vanguard of the moment. This effective action is a specialty of Zen, where it is referred to as the Zen dynamic. The energy, feeling, or mood hidden within and not revealed is called the potential of the moment. It is like a hinge, which is inside the door. To see the invisible workings hidden inside, and to act upon that, is called the art of war at the vanguard of the moment.

The Moon in the Water - There is a certain distance between an adversary and yourself at which you will not get hit by the adversary's sword. You employ martial arts from outside this space. To get close to an opponent by striding into this space or slipping into it is called "the moon in the water", being likened to the moon sending its reflection into a bod yof water. One should engage an opponent only after having set up a theoretical "moon in the water" field in one's mind before even facing off.

The Killing Sword - To think of getting rid of sickness (e.g. fear, panic) is fixation on sickness, but if you use that fixation to get rid of sickness, the fixation will not remain. To have no thought of getting rid of sickness at all is getting rid of sickness. To think of riddance is itself sickness. Letting sickness be while living in the midst of sickness is to be rid of sickness.

No-Sword - "Mind turns along with myriad situations; its turning point is truly recondite." Myriad conditions means all the actions of adversaries; the mind turns with each and every action. For example, when an opponent raises his sword, your mind turns to the sword. If he whirls to the right, your mind turns to the right; if he whrils to the left, your mind turns to the left. This is called 'turning along with myriad situations.' "The turning point is truly recondite". This is the eye of martial arts. When the mind does not leave any traces in any particular place, but turns to what lies ahead, with the past dying out like the wake of a boat, not lingering at all, this should be understood as the turning point being truly recondite. If your mind stops and stays somewhere, you will be defeated in martial arts. If you linger where you turn, you will be crushed. Since the mind has no form or shape, it is basically invisible; but when it clings and lingers, the mind is visible as such in that condition. The human mind also manifests visibly when it is attracted and fixated by things.