Musashi in review

original posting:  30 September 2008

Life has this way of throwing you curveballs and hitting you with the unexpected at every turn.  You think something is going fine and all of a sudden, your world is turned upside down.  You think things couldn't get any worse and then there is a mysterious light of hope.  That is the way of life.  The hardest part of "life" is acceptance. 
Strange maybe is the concept that we would be a lot more grounded and content with things in life if we would just accept that they happen.  Sometimes there is no reason.  Sometimes there is no rhyme.  Sometimes it is something we can control and sometimes it is not.  Sometimes the only person we can believe is ourselves and sometimes you can put your faith in mankind.
I studied a little bit of a Japanese samurai/philosopher from the 15th century by the name of Miyamoto Mushashi.  I was inspired and convicted by his "Way of Walking Alone," a set of tenets giving direction to a life that he lived, that he would expect anyone who followed his philosophy to take and make their own.  In his vision I did, and made "The Way of Walking in Darnkess."  It has been quite sometime since that publication, and thought I should revist my own Way, and see where it has led me.
"The Way of Walking in the Darkness"
* Do not accept that you know enough of the world*

   -This tenet has shown me that by approaching the world with the knowledge that you will never know more about it than it of you, and realizing just how small my role is, has helped me immensly.  I am 26 years old and I am still finding that there are things that I do not know, things that I cannot change, and things that i have yet to experience.

* Do not let your desire for love and lust warp your thoughts and actions*
   - I have been living a life quite a bit different from that when I lived in Germany, and amazingly, this tenet till holds just as true as the day I wrote it.  I have very strong convictions about love/lust being a proponent in a person's life, and have since found that it is still important to let your ideas of love/lust NOT be what drives you to be with someone, rather your ability to communicate, the reality of BOTH your situations and the likelihood of your actions being pure outside of love/lust.

* Do not rely on anyone before first relying on yourself*
   - My family and friends I think have a hard time accepting that I hold this tenet very close to my heart.  I believe that if you rely too much on others, either as a crutch or honest support, you lose that part of you that is able to survive on its own.  I am not saying go down in fire and flames, but unless you know yourself and know your limits, you will never really be able to know what you are capable of.  If at first I fail, then I know more about what it takes to succeed, or know that I cannot do this thing that has defeated me on my own, and either need support or accept that I simply cannot win in that particular area.

* Do not take yourself, or your circumstances, too seriously; take the world in her harshest light*
   -As always, I have followed this tenet to the T, with the exception of recent history.  If I can take a step back and view myself and my circumstances from outside my situation, I would probably see that not only are they not that dire or serious or whatever else you might describe it as, but I would also see more objectively that regardless of the circumstances and how things end up, life does go on.  And as always, take the world in the harshest of light.  She will always be harsh, so accepting that others will be just like her are what will make it so much easier.

* Do not ever think in acusations*
   -  I have been failing at this one.  I tend to think in the worse possible light, and while the above tenets do caution against the harsh world and retain the knowledge that you can only rely on yourself, thinking accusitively is not apart of that.  An accusation arises from NOT knowing something, and thus because of my lack of knowledge, I have definately been thinking very accusatorily.  Taking the time to internalize the unknown or taking a step back and trying to understand what is presented to me is key to adhering to this tenet.

* Do not fear or regret your past; it is what has created your path*
   -  Fear and regret can be negative and impacting on your life, and living free from the sins of your own past can do wonders for the soul.  I am where I am today because of everything I have done and what has been done to me.  No need to fear or regret what has shaped you, both bad and good.

* Do not desire anything that another does; desire what you are able to do*
   -  Envy and covetous thoughts.  I have had a close bout with this recently that infurated me.  It is simple enough to strive for something when you see something you want.  Turning that destructive and worthless impulse into something as an inspiring force that drives you to achieve is the goal of this tenet.  Although I have found very little that I want that another has or does, this is till very important to follow, as it is so very easy to let someone else's good things twist our own thoughts.

* Do not mourn the path or where it leads*
   -  Definately had pain with this one.  With my dad passing, to new family troubles, to problems in my love life... it is alwasy so difficult to keep from letting the pain or disappointment overtake me.  The path leads where it does.  And while we can try our best to direct the path, there are simply some things we have to endure in life. 
Next week I will continue the review.  Until then...