Top 83 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes (PHILOSOPHY)

Top 10 Most Famous Miyamoto Musashi Quotes (BEST)

“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

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. — **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.

Whatever your determination or will power, it is foolish to try to change the nature of things. Things work the way they do because that is the way of things. — Whatever your **determination** or will power, it is foolish to try to **change** the **nature** of things. Things work the way they do because that is the way of things.

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

To win any battle, you must fight as if you are already dead.

“Anger. 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

The purpose of today's training is to defeat yesterday's understanding. — The **purpose** of today’s training is to defeat yesterday’s understanding.

It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first.

The only reason a warrior is alive is to fight, and the only reason a warrior fights is to win.

You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour. — You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your **honour**.

12 WiseMiyamoto Musashi Quotes to Live By (WISDOM)

“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

Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to life. — Fixation is the way to death. Fluidity is the way to **life**.

In time, all things work to your advantage when you pursue them with an open heart. — In **time**, all things work to your advantage when you pursue them with an open heart.

No Fear, No Hesitation, No Surprise, No Doubt. — No **Fear**, No Hesitation, No Surprise, No Doubt.

If you wish to control others you must first control yourself.

Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.

“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.”
Miyamoto Musashi

With your spirit open and unconstricted, look at things from a high point of view.

Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.

If you know the way broadly you will see it in everything.

Do not waste time idling or thinking after you have set your goals. — Do not waste **time** idling or thinking after you have set your goals.

To know ten thousand things, know one well.

12 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes on Success that will Make You Think

“Do not sleep under a roof. Carry no money or food. Go alone to places frightening to the common brand of men. Become a criminal of purpose. Be put in jail, and extricate yourself by your own wisdom.”
Miyamoto Musashi

You must understand that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain.

Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.

“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

Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men.

The path that leads to truth is littered with the bodies of the ignorant. — The path that leads to **truth** is littered with the bodies of the ignorant.

All man are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them.

“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

Do not regret what you have done. — Do not **regret** what you have done.

Understand the harm and benefit of everything.

If there isn’t discipline, how can there be a true realization of an ideal — If there isn’t **discipline**, how can there be a true realization of an ideal?

11 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes About Love and Life

“Nobody is strong and nobody is weak if he conceives of the body, from the head to the sole of the foot, as a unity in which a living mind circulates everywhere equally.”
Miyamoto Musashi

Get beyond love and grief exist for the good of Man. — Get beyond **love** and grief: exist for the good of Man.

It is difficult to understand the universe if you only study one planet.

The approach to combat and everyday life should be the same.

Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself or others. — **Resentment** and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself or others.

Be detached from desire your whole life long.

“Do not think dishonestly… Distinguish between gain and loss in worldly matters. Develop intuitive judgement and understanding for everything. Perceive those things which cannot be seen. Pay attention even to trifles. Do nothing which is of no use.”
Miyamoto Musashi

Do not let the body be dragged along by mind nor be dragged along by the body.

There is more to life than increasing its speed.

Step by step walk the thousand mile road.

Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help. — **Respect** Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.

13 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes on Martial Arts and Being a Warrior

“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.”
Miyamoto Musashi

The ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them.

A warrior has no confusion in his mind… This is true emptiness.

Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior.

“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.”
Miyamoto Musashi

In fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm. — In fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though **calm**.

One thousand days of lessons for discipline; ten thousand days of lessons for mastery. — One thousand days of lessons for **discipline**; ten thousand days of lessons for **mastery**.

True warriors are fierce because their training is fierce.

“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

One must make the warrior walk his everyday walk.

The principle is 'strategy by means of the long sword'. If he attains the virtue of the long sword, one man can beat ten men. — The principle is ‘strategy by means of the long sword’. If he attains the virtue of the long sword, one man can beat ten men.

Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute acceptance of death. — Generally speaking, the Way of the warrior is resolute **acceptance** of death.

“It is said the warrior’s is the twofold Way of pen and sword… Even if a man has no natural ability he can be a warrior by sticking assiduously to both divisions of the Way.”
Miyamoto Musashi

10 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes on Having An Edge Over Your Enemy

“When the enemy starts to collapse you must pursue him without letting the chance go. If you fail to take advantage of your enemies’ collapse, they may recover.”
Miyamoto Musashi

If you do not control the enemy, the enemy will control you.

To become the enemy, see yourself as the enemy of the enemy.

You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect. — You win battles by knowing the enemy’s timing, and using a timing which the enemy does not expect.

Many things can cause a loss of balance. One cause is danger, another is hardship, and another is surprise. — Many things can cause a loss of balance. One cause is danger, another is **hardship**, and another is surprise.

The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy's useful actions but allow his useless actions. — The important thing in strategy is to suppress the enemy’s useful **actions** but allow his useless actions.

Everything can collapse. Houses, bodies, and enemies collapse when their rhythm becomes deranged.

In large-scale strategy, it is beneficial to strike at the corners of the enemy’s force. If the corners are overthrown, the spirit of the whole body will be overthrown.

If the enemy thinks of the mountains, attack like the sea; and if he thinks of the sea, attack like the mountains.

Be neither insufficiently spirited nor over spirited. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not let the enemy see your spirit.

10 Miyamoto Musashi Quotes on Fighting and Battles (STRATEGY)

“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.”
Miyamoto Musashi

Never accept an inferior position to anyone. It is the strongest spirit that wins, not the most expensive sword.

In battle, if you you make your opponent flinch, you have already won.

You can only fight the way you practice.

There is timing in everything. Timing in strategy cannot be mastered without a great deal of practice.

“It shows the inferior strategy of a weak spirit that men should be dependent on the length of their sword, fighting from a distance without the benefit of strategy.”
Miyamoto Musashi