The Way of The Superior Man - Miyamoto Musashi

Summary

This video explores the teachings of Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary samurai, on superior self-discipline. It delves into his philosophy of acceptance, the importance of a clear mind, and the power of focused discipline in mastering skills. Musashi's insights on handling life's challenges, embracing change, and overcoming jealousy are discussed, emphasizing how these principles can be applied in our daily lives.

Takeaways

• 🗡️ Miyamoto Musashi is renowned for his exceptional swordsmanship, which was achieved through rigorous discipline rather than just natural talent.
• 🤺 Musashi's first duel at age 13 marked the beginning of an undefeated streak in over 60 duels, a record that remains unmatched.
• 🎨 Beyond being a samurai, Musashi was also an artist and thinker, demonstrating the value of self-discipline in multiple areas of life.
• 🧘 Acceptance of reality is a form of discipline for Musashi, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging each moment as it is.
• 🚗 Musashi's teachings encourage viewing challenges objectively and focusing on finding solutions rather than lamenting misfortune.
• 🌐 The stoic philosophy aligns with Musashi's approach, suggesting that we control our reactions to external circumstances, not the circumstances themselves.
• 🚫 Musashi advises against labeling events as good or bad, as these are subjective judgments that can limit our perspective.
• 💭 Regret is a distraction that can compromise discipline; Musashi emphasizes the importance of a clear mind for effective decision-making.
• 🏡 Musashi's teachings suggest that contentment is an internal state, not dependent on external locations or circumstances.
• 🌐 Musashi's life prepared him for unpredictability, emphasizing the importance of adaptability and resilience in achieving goals.
• 📚 Musashi's approach to mastering one skill at a time highlights the value of focused discipline in achieving expertise.
• 💔 Musashi advises managing emotions during separations, emphasizing the importance of detachment from material possessions and emotional bonds.
• 💢 Jealousy is a barrier to discipline, and Musashi's teachings encourage focusing on self-improvement rather than comparing oneself to others.

Q & A

Who is Miyamoto Musashi and why is he considered significant?

Miyamoto Musashi is considered one of the greatest samurais in history, known for his unparalleled achievements in swordsmanship, unwavering discipline, and undefeated record in over 60 duels. He was also an artist and thinker, making his life a compelling example of how self-discipline can be transformative.

What was Musashi's first notable achievement in swordsmanship?

Musashi's first notable achievement was winning a duel at the age of 13. Following this, he remained undefeated in over 60 duels, a record that still stands as one of the most historic achievements of all time.

How did Musashi view self-discipline, and why was it important to him?

Musashi viewed self-discipline as more than a tool for achievement; he saw it as a shield against suffering. It enabled him to handle life's challenges and surprises better, keeping his mind clear for effective decision-making.

What is the significance of accepting everything just the way it is, according to Musashi?

Musashi believed that acceptance wasn't a passive act but a form of discipline. By accepting the reality of each moment, whether in a life-threatening duel or a peaceful day, one can avoid unnecessary suffering and focus on finding solutions to problems.

How does Musashi's teaching align with Stoic philosophy?

Musashi's teaching aligns with Stoic philosophy through the idea that while we cannot control external circumstances, we can always choose how to respond to them. This is similar to Epictetus's quote: 'We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.'

What is Musashi's perspective on regret and how should one deal with it?

Musashi emphasized the importance of not dwelling on regret, as it can cloud the mind and hinder decision-making. Instead, he suggested focusing on the present moment and taking proactive steps to remedy situations, learning from mistakes rather than getting stuck in regret.

What does Musashi mean by 'be indifferent to where you live'?

Musashi believed that contentment isn't tied to a specific location but to one's mindset and how one engages with life. He argued that happiness is an internal state and that being adaptable and resilient is more important than where one lives.

How can focusing on mastering one thing lead to knowing ten thousand things?

Musashi's approach to mastering one skill, such as swordsmanship, involved extensive learning and practice. By mastering one discipline, he learned patterns and strategies that could be applied to other areas. This principle suggests that deep understanding in one area can facilitate learning in others.

What is Musashi's advice regarding separations, and why is it important?

Musashi advised not to be saddened by separations, whether from loved ones or material possessions. He emphasized managing emotions and staying focused on one's path, understanding that attachments can become emotional burdens that distract from self-discipline.

How does Musashi's teaching address jealousy, and why is it important for maintaining discipline?

Musashi warned against jealousy as it distracts from focusing on one's own path and self-improvement. He emphasized that jealousy wastes time and energy that could be invested in becoming the best version of oneself. Maintaining discipline requires unwavering focus and commitment to one's craft.

Outlines

00:00

🗡️ The Path to Greatness Through Self-Discipline

This paragraph introduces Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary samurai known for his unparalleled swordsmanship and undefeated record in duels. Musashi's success was attributed to his unwavering discipline, not just natural talent. His teachings emphasize the importance of self-discipline as a tool for achievement and a shield against suffering. The paragraph also highlights the need for acceptance and non-judgment in facing life's uncertainties, drawing parallels with stoic philosophy. Musashi's approach to life and his teachings on self-discipline are presented as practical advice for modern individuals, focusing on the importance of a clear mind for effective decision-making and the avoidance of regret.

05:01

🌟 Embracing Life's Journey with Discipline and Adaptability

The second paragraph delves into Musashi's teachings on contentment, adaptability, and the pursuit of mastery. It challenges the notion that changing one's location can solve all problems, emphasizing the importance of mindset over physical environment. Musashi's life serves as an example of how to prepare for life's unpredictability and the need for resilience and commitment to goals. The paragraph also discusses the concept of 'shiny object syndrome' and the value of focused discipline in mastering one skill at a time. Musashi's approach to mastering the art of the sword is contrasted with the modern tendency to dabble in multiple interests. Additionally, the paragraph touches on the inevitability of separation and the importance of managing emotions and attachments, as well as the detrimental effects of jealousy on discipline and self-improvement.

Keywords

💡Self-discipline

Self-discipline refers to the ability to control one's impulses and behavior in order to achieve goals or adhere to a set of values. In the video, it is portrayed as a fundamental quality that enabled Miyamoto Musashi to achieve greatness in his life. It is not just a tool for success but also a shield against suffering, helping him handle life's challenges effectively. The script illustrates this by discussing how Musashi's discipline carved his path to greatness and how it can be applied in modern life to handle unexpected situations like a car breaking down.

💡Samurais

Samurais were the military nobility and officer caste in medieval and early-modern Japan, known for their martial prowess and adherence to the code of Bushido. The video highlights Miyamoto Musashi as one of the greatest samurais in history, emphasizing his achievements in swordsmanship and his disciplined lifestyle. His life serves as an example of how self-discipline can be a game changer, particularly in the context of facing life-or-death situations and maintaining a clear mind for effective decision-making.

💡Unwavering discipline

Unwavering discipline is a consistent and persistent adherence to a set of principles or practices, regardless of external circumstances. The script describes how Musashi's unwavering discipline was key to his success, shaping his path to greatness. It is depicted as a driving force behind his achievements, including his undefeated record in duels and his contributions as an artist and thinker.

💡Acceptance

Acceptance in the video is portrayed as a form of discipline, where one acknowledges the reality of each moment without resistance. Musashi's life as a samurai was filled with uncertainties, and his acceptance of these uncertainties is highlighted as a key aspect of his discipline. The script uses the example of a car breaking down on the way to an important meeting, suggesting that a disciplined person sees the situation for what it is and focuses on finding solutions rather than lamenting the situation.

💡Stoic philosophy

Stoic philosophy is an ancient Greek school of thought that emphasizes the importance of reason and virtue in order to live a good life. The video references Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher, to illustrate the idea that while we cannot control external circumstances, we can control our responses to them. This philosophy aligns closely with Musashi's teachings, emphasizing the importance of a disciplined mindset in perceiving events without labeling them as good or bad.

💡Regret

Regret is a feeling of sadness or disappointment over something that has happened, often involving a sense of loss or a missed opportunity. The script distinguishes regret from guilt, explaining that while guilt can be constructive, regret is a mental state that hinders discipline. Musashi's teachings emphasize the importance of a clear mind for effective decision-making, and regret is identified as a distraction that can compromise this clarity.

💡Detachment

Detachment in the video is discussed in the context of emotional independence from material possessions or relationships. Musashi's teachings warn against the emotional bondage that can come from attachments, suggesting that true discipline involves understanding that while you can enjoy things, they should not own you emotionally. This concept is used to illustrate the importance of managing emotions in the face of separations and changes.

💡Inner state

The inner state refers to one's mental and emotional condition, independent of external circumstances. The video emphasizes that for Musashi, the location was secondary to the discipline and mindset he carried within himself. Whether in a peaceful temple or a chaotic battlefield, his inner state remained unshaken. This concept is used to challenge the notion that a change of location can solve all problems, highlighting the importance of a disciplined mindset in achieving contentment.

💡Mastery

Mastery is the state of having complete knowledge or control over something. The script discusses Musashi's approach to mastering the art of the sword, emphasizing the importance of focused discipline in mastering one thing at a time. This concept is used to illustrate the idea that by extensively learning a skill and experiencing its entirety, one can start seeing patterns that will help in learning other skills, ultimately leading to a broader understanding and adaptability.

💡Jealousy

Jealousy is a feeling of envy or resentment towards someone else's achievements or possessions. The video discusses how jealousy can be a barrier to discipline, distracting one from focusing on their own path and self-improvement. Musashi's teachings target jealousy as a form of emotional distraction that prevents one from honing their skills and achieving their potential, emphasizing the importance of maintaining focus and commitment to one's craft.

Highlights

Miyamoto Musashi is recognized as one of the greatest samurais in history, with achievements in swordsmanship attributed to his unwavering discipline.

Musashi's first duel was at the age of 13, and he remained undefeated for over 60 duels, a record that stands today.

Musashi was not only a samurai but also an artist and thinker, demonstrating the importance of self-discipline beyond physical prowess.

Self-discipline is portrayed as a shield against suffering, enabling better handling of life's challenges.

Musashi's teachings emphasize the importance of accepting reality and focusing on finding solutions rather than lamenting over misfortunes.

The stoic philosophy of choosing how to respond to external circumstances is aligned with Musashi's approach to life's uncertainties.

Musashi advises against labeling events as good or bad, suggesting that these judgments are mental constructs.

Guilt is differentiated from regret, with the former being a signal for ethical self-correction and the latter a hindrance to discipline.

A clear mind is essential for effective decision-making, and Musashi emphasized the importance of maintaining this clarity by avoiding distractions like regret.

Musashi's teachings suggest being indifferent to one's location, focusing instead on the discipline and mindset one carries within.

Contentment is tied to one's mindset rather than a specific location, as emphasized by Musashi's teachings.

Musashi prepared for life's unpredictability by focusing on adaptability and resilience, rather than external circumstances.

The concept of 'knowing one way' from Musashi's teachings encourages mastering one skill at a time before branching out to others.

Musashi's approach to mastering the art of the sword illustrates the value of focused discipline in achieving mastery.

Learning how to learn is crucial, as it enables adaptability in various fields, inspired by Musashi's strategy of learning from patterns.

Musashi's teachings on managing emotions in the face of separations emphasize the importance of discipline in maintaining one's path.

Detachment from material possessions is advocated by Musashi to avoid emotional bondage and maintain focus on one's goals.

Jealousy is identified as a barrier to discipline, with Musashi's teachings urging focus on self-improvement rather than comparing oneself to others.

Transcripts

seek nothing outside of yourself

there is no doubt that Miyamoto Musashi

is one of the greatest samurais in

history his unparalleled achievements in

swordsmanship weren't just a result of

natural talent but a testament to his

unwavering discipline according to his

own writings it was this very discipline

that carved his path to Greatness

Musashi's first duel was when he was

just 13 years old which he won after

this he remained undefeated for over 60

duels even now in the modern day this

record still stands as one of the most

historic achievements of all time

Miyamoto Musashi wasn't just the best

Samurai ever in Japan but also he was an

artist and thinker his life serves as a

compelling example of how

self-discipline can be a game changer

without it we're like rudderless ships

easily swayed by the currents of impulse

and immediate gratification Musashi saw

self-discipline as more than a tool for

achievement it was a shield against

suffering when we're disciplined we're

better equipped to handle life's

challenges and surprises so with that in

mind in this video we'll explore

Miyamoto Musashi's teachings for

Superior self-discipline and how they

can be practically applied in our daily

lives

except everything just the way it is

Musashi's Life as a samurai was filled

with uncertainties from the outcomes of

duels to the transient nature of his

lifestyle for him acceptance wasn't a

passive act but a form of discipline it

meant acknowledging the reality of each

moment whether it was a life-threatening

duel or a peaceful day of writing

this perception isn't just for samurais

facing life or death situations it's a

principle that can be applied to the

challenges we encounter every day for

example imagine you're driving to an

important meeting and your car suddenly

breaks down the immediate reaction for

many of us might be to ask why is this

happening to me or even to curse our bad

luck thereby adding unnecessary

suffering to the situation but what

Musashi suggests instead of labeling the

situation is bad and spiraling into

frustration a disciplined person sees it

for what it is the car stopped working

and it needs fixing the focus then

quickly turns to finding Solutions like

calling for a tow truck or notifying the

people waiting for you and figuring out

how to resolve the situation this

principle aligns closely with the stoic

philosophy which Epictetus encapsulated

in his famous quote we cannot choose our

external circumstances but we can always

choose how we respond to them the idea

is straightforward yet profound we may

not have control over what happens to us

but we do have control of over how we

react Musashi also offers a compelling

perspective on how we perceive events

cautioning us against labeling them as

good or bad he argues that these labels

are not inherent qualities of the events

themselves but rather mental constructs

that we as observers impose upon them so

when we adopt a disciplined mindset we

free ourselves from these limiting

judgments

do not regret what you have done

guilt can be a helpful emotion it's like

a signal that alerts us when we've

crossed an ethical line for instance if

you've said something rude and hurt

someone feeling guilty is natural and

even constructive it shows you care

about the impact of your actions and

offers a chance for self-correction

sometimes many of us confuse the feeling

of guilt and regret even though each of

them serves different functions guilt is

an emotional response that provides

useful information helping us adjust our

behavior for the future regret on the

other hand is a mental state that

doesn't serve us well it's like a cloud

that hovers over our thoughts taking up

valuable mental space and hindering

discipline Miyamoto Musashi didn't have

the luxury to dwell on regret he had to

focus on the present moment and the

actions that would keep him alive that's

why he emphasized the importance of a

clear mind for Effective decision making

something that regret can severely

compromise to maintain discipline it's

crucial to keep our minds free from

distractions regret is one such

distraction whether you've blown your

savings on a risky investment or pulled

an all-nighter playing video games and

missed an important class or work

meeting regret won't help you fix any of

these situations instead of getting

stuck in a cycle of regret which often

leads to feelings of helplessness we

should focus on taking proactive steps

to remedy the situation it's okay to

make mistakes and learn from them what's

not okay is to let those mistakes turn

into a pit of regret we should aim to

learn improve and move forward

be indifferent to where you live

for Musashi the location was secondary

to the discipline and mindset he carried

within himself whether he was in a

peaceful Temple or a chaotic Battlefield

his inner State remained unshaken many

of us might believe that a simple change

of location will magically solve all our

problems leading to a happily ever after

scenario but Musashi is challenging this

common notion and urging us to

understand that the key to contentment

isn't tied to a specific location it's

more about our mindset and how you

engage with life happiness at its core

is an internal State of Mind sure a new

place might offer a temporary boost in

mood but if you're not fundamentally

content or aligned with your life's

purpose that initial happiness will

likely fade eventually you'll find

yourself back at square one this Echoes

the words of Confucius who said no

matter where you go there you are

Musashi also prepares us for life's

unpredictability if we're on a path of

self-improvement or seeking Mastery in

any field we might end up in places we

never saw coming maybe we'll find

ourselves in a different country

adjusting to a new way of life or even

learning to navigate unfamiliar cultures

these changes go beyond just our

physical location their tests of our

mental and emotional strength so instead

of focusing on where we are Musashi

proposes that we should consider how we

are are we adaptable resilient and

committed to our goals these are the

qualities that will help us Thrive no

matter where life takes us

to know ten thousand things no one well

in today's world we're faced with an

overwhelming number of career paths and

Endless Options it's common to feel

drawn to multiple interests whether it's

Sports computers or art leading us to

dabble in various Fields having a wide

range of Interest isn't necessarily a

bad thing however this can sometimes

lead to what's known as the shiny object

syndrome where people jump from one new

and trendy idea to another abandoning

each as soon as something else catches

their eye Musashi took a different

approach he devoted his life to

mastering the art of the sword day in

and day out he trained restlessly

however it's easy to forget that he was

also an accomplished artist a cerebral

philosopher and a master strategist with

this we can argue that knowing one way

doesn't mean limiting yourself to one

Pursuit it emphasizes the importance of

focused discipline in mastering one

thing at a time and dedicating our full

time and attention to this one thing

until we Master it by doing so we now

know one way so by extensively learning

a skill and experiencing the entirety of

what that is we start seeing patterns

which will help us learn other skills as

well in miyamoto's case his strategy was

largely based on the patterns he learned

from dueling his opponents and applying

them on a larger scale in modern days

this can be illustrated by the

resilience we gain by learning how to be

adaptable in anything we do it's the

ability to learn how to learn if you

know how to study for one exam you'll

know how to study for the rest or if you

know how to adapt in the workplace

you'll be able to handle any task you're

assigned to but it all starts with

learning One Way first so that you can

later know a thousand

never let yourself be saddened by a

separation considering that Musashi was

a samurai a warrior who've always faced

life or death situations this principle

likely held significant weight in his

own life separations are a natural and

unavoidable part of Being Human whether

it's the loss of a loved one moving to a

new place or simply taking different

paths in life these moments of

Separation Will Come For example imagine

you have to move to a different city to

chase a career opportunity or to follow

a dream in this case you'll be leaving

behind friends and family which is tough

but according to Musashi the discipline

lies in managing those emotions

acknowledging the sadness but not

letting it deter you from your path the

concept of Separation also extends to

material possessions let's say you're

attached to your car or your smartphone

if these items were taken away would you

lose your sense of self Musashi warns

against such attachments suggesting that

they can become a form of emotional

bondage the discipline here is in the

Detachment in understanding that while

you can enjoy things they should

shouldn't own you emotionally

never be jealous

you might be thinking what's the

connection between jealousy and

discipline well Musashi's teachings

often Target the barriers that prevent

us from being disciplined and jealousy

is definitely one of them let's say

you're scrolling through social media

and see a friend who's just landed a

dream job or is traveling to exotic

places it's easy to feel a Pang of

jealousy thinking you're missing out or

not achieving enough but here's the

thing jealousy distracts you from

focusing on your own path and

self-improvement imagine if Musashi had

spent his time being jealous of other

Swordsmen would he have become the

legendary Warrior we know today highly

unlikely in the samurai world where life

and death were separated by the thinnest

of margins there was no room for such

distractions Musashi focused on honing

his own skills perfecting his art and

understanding his own strengths and

weaknesses jealousy would have been a

waste of precious time and energy

resources that he could otherwise invest

in becoming the best version of himself

and just like Musashi you can't afford

to squander your focus and allow

yourself to get to distracted by what

others are doing especially in the age

of social media maintaining our

discipline is more crucial than ever so

when jealousy tries to divert your

attention remember Musashi's unwavering

focus and commitment to his craft use

that as fuel to invest in yourself and

to become the greatest Samurai in your

own field