Gorin no Sho: Miyamoto Musashi
wrote the Hyoho Sanjugo Kajo (35 articles on Strategy), Gorin no
Sho, and Dokkodo ( The way of Self Reliance). Gorin No Sho is the
most famous of these writings and has been translated into many
Looking down from Reigando where
Musashi lived and wrote Gorin no Sho
I have heard that a translation
of this book has become a best seller in the United States, France
and Germany. Many people may interpret this book differently depending
on their divergent backgrounds and experiences. Readers may regard
this book simply as a sword tactics manual of one of the Ryu, as
a parallel of the Buddhist Sutras, a book explaining spiritual awakening
or as a reference book for business.
Notwithstanding if one does not study the
Buddhist Sutras, one will never understand, however hard one reads.
On opening the book one will
find a Prologue. Niten Ichiryu believes that this prologue is a
very important teaching, because it explains the process of how
the book was written.
It consists of two parts: Hokki
Jo (Initiation Prologue) and Kikei Jo (Prologue
of total self devotion to Buddhist Law)
In Hokki Jo, Miyamoto explains why he wrote
the book. The Kie in Kikei Jo means to believe in, worship and respect
(the Buddhist Law or a Buddhist saint). It means something spiritual
that one embraces and respects and depends on. It means attitude
(form) as when one bows ones head with ones hands clasped in prayer
showing respect to a spiritual being. Miyamoto regarded himself
as being in spiritual dependency with Tendo (the natural law) and
Kanzeon (the Merciful Goddess) as his mirrors. As he began to write
the book he devoted himself to them with hands clasped in prayer.
The Prologue: It presents Miyamoto as a person who depended
upon Kie, realising Hyoho (the path to enlightenment) as a means,
he stood up in the absolute world and succeeded in developing himself
. Although the Prologue states, The
way to heaven and the Merciful Goddess as a mirror: The
meaning of this phrase refers to not understanding as, Certain as the mind by reflecting on it. Also by uniting with the merciful goddess
through everyday life and believing in heaven and the Merciful Goddess.
The mirror means teaching. When we are given the teaching. It is
like a mirror, and we recognise ourselves for the first time. The
next statement that we must not miss in the Prologue is, I came to the realisation that I had won, not because I had attained
the full secrets of swordsmanship. Miyamoto
had aspired to Hyoho since his youth, overcome various difficulties,
won almost sixty fights at the risk of his life, relentlessly trained
himself by risking death. He won the fight against Koijiro Sasaki
on Ganryu when he was twenty nine years old.
However Miyamoto asked himself, What does winning mean? He realised
that he had won up to that point by chance. There was no absolute
promise of winning whenever, wherever or however he fought. As long
as he lived he would grow older ill and die. If a swordsman became
ill or injured at some time or hurt himself, some one was aware
of swordsmanship could easily strike him down. As he became old
even a woman or a child would be able to beat him. In other words,
one can only win in times of good health. In this case no matter
how hard one practices and studies Kenjutsu and raises oneself to
an masterful standard it will all be a waste of time if one is ill.
What a hopeless situation. All the effort will be in vain.
He came to the conclusion, The previous victories were not due to me
having mastered strategy. My Hyoho was merely the result of earthly
desires. It was coarse of me.. In
this process of thinking he abruptly reached spiritual enlightenment.
Senki -Fighting Spirit: Written by Miyamoto Musashi
This awakening is a great revolution in
the philosophy of Buddhism. To turn ones thoughts towards Buddhist
ends means, To establish oneself in
the world of self realisation. This
changing mind Spiritual awakening means that human beings
fail when they rely on intellect. Stating further, this awakening
means to take one step forward from the
Hyakushaku Kanto (the top of the one
hundred foot pole) to reach the eternal world. Understand the prologues
point, The previous victories were not
due to having mastered strategy and you will understand Gorin no
to awaken oneself, to free oneself and find the true spirit. Enlightenment
came to Miyamoto after having a number of confrontations with swordsmen
at the risk of his life between the ages of thirteen and twenty
nine and he experienced the failure of human intellect. He could
not find the utmost world in the hardest training or fights. When
Miyamoto solved problems, he had always depended too much on his
common sense. Therefore his master strategy was useless for attaining
self realisation. For the first time he awoke and found a way he
could trust himself. To feed himself through Hyoho.
This is the tatsu which he meant, the utmost
state, the rebirth of Miyamoto.
This is probably
equivalent of Shinran Shonin
(Founder of Jodo Shinshu). Shinran who stayed
on Mt. Hiei to practice the Tendai method of salvation, could not
find his way. Descending from the mountain, Shinran visited Honen
Shonin (founder of Jodoshu) and came across Honens commentary, Continuous
recitation of the nembutsu (recitation of the name Amida) is the
way to salvation.
He instantly realised Amidas saving
power and took refuge in him by saying,, I am just an ordinary man who is afflicted. Since I will not be
able to master any Shugyo (austere training), hell where I was originally
supposed to go, will definitely be my training place in the future.
Myõ The Buddhist Deity respected by Miyamoto Musashi.
.Written as Acala Naatha in Sanskrit. He is the king of the Buddhist shugo. The Incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai The Sanskrit name acala means " don't move ". ," Na ' means 'Unshakable Guardian'.
In Japan, Acala isan idol of worship in its own right, and is installed as the hozen (本尊) or main deity at temples and outdoor shrines. A famous example is the Narita Fudo, a Shingon subsect temple at Narita San