Musashi's Book of Five Rings. Stephen F. Kaufman

      THE WAY OF STRATEGY

      The Way is a specific and determinedly deliberate methodology. The ancient masters must be studied constantly without respite, even when the practitioner thinks he has grasped the knowledge.

      It is important to realize that technique is not the end of an art. Those good in technique, regardless of the art they pursue, are not necessarily able to teach the true meaning of an art. Beginning students who do not know this and who think that they are being brought to the threshold of understanding are not to blame so much as those who teach without understanding the inner and the outer worlds of the art of which they profess to be masters. It is useless for people who look good in play competition to think in terms of being masters. They appear to understand and as a result permit their own self-importance to convince them that they are bearers of the truth. Only through a constant search from within, based on one’s own lifestyle, can the truth be known. It is absolutely a personal thing. Commercialism does nothing to enhance the reality of truth, although it can lead one to the start of the path.

      A man cannot understand the perfection and imperfections of his chosen art if he cannot see the value in other arts. Following rules only permits development up to a point in technique; to advance further the student and artist must learn and seek other knowledge. It makes sense to study other arts as well as those of strategy. Who has not learned something more about themselves by watching the activities of others? To learn the sword, study the guitar. To learn the fist, study commerce. To only study the sword will make you narrow-minded and will keep you from growing outward.

      Everything is for sale, including men’s souls. 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. There is no purpose in trying to determine whether one is better than another. If anything is anything, then everything is everything.

      Do not confuse profit with profitability. To sell yourself based on the design of your school symbol is unfair to students and is, moreover, moronic because it fools the unknowing into thinking that skill is based on superficiality. Besides, it is bad karma and it will come back to haunt you. You cannot fool with the “spirit of the thing itself.” It is a far greater wisdom than man can ever understand.

      In our society there are four classes of people. Each fulfills appropriate functions and each is able to attain levels of perfection according to its own means. The specific ranks of the classes in order of their importance to the society are: 1) the Samurai; 2) the farmers; 3) the artisans; and finally, 4) the merchants. Each is respected and disrespected equally by the other classes. The Samurai are warriors and live a “higher ideal.” The study of their weapons is their prime motivation. Farmers are next because they provide the food needed for the masses. Artisans are the craftsmen and makers of weapons and other products. Merchants are a ridiculed class because they produce nothing except profit from the work of others. Yet it must be understood that each has a viable and functional part within the structure of the society and that even though, for example, the warrior class may despise the merchant class, we are all too aware of the need for them to maintain the economy. Money must be made to pay the army.

      COMPARING THE WAY OF THE CRAFTSMAN TO THE STRATEGY OF A WARRIOR

      It is important to understand what the goal of an “art” is. Once that is understood it is easy to pursue the “spirit” of it. To study carpentry you study the correlation of materials and so I can compare the Way of the warrior to the Way of the craftsman. To study the sword you study war, weapons, and men. To study craftsmanship you study the project, the tools, and men. You will succeed or fail in either one depending on your attitude towards the “spirit of the thing.” There can be no let up to your study, regardless of the path you choose, even though you may have mastered a particular level. You must search constantly for still more understanding of your chosen art.

      If there is no discipline, how can there be a true realization of an ideal? How can a man be trusted to perform in society if he does not understand what society needs? To act in harmony with the environment of where you are you must understand the need for certain rules. If you do not, then you will not be able to control others. If you cannot control others, then how can you expect to attain perfection in your own ideal?

      It is essential for the leader to know the rules of the game: which rules work, which rules do not work, which rules can be changed to suit a particular need, which rules, when changed, will create additional problems, and which will not.

      Craftsmen are familiar with the quality of the materials they use in their work. A man must not assume that another man’s uniform or armament is an indication of his strength. Many warriors have always relied on the “look” of their armor to intimidate the enemy. Do not assume that what appear to be finely crafted goods will hold up under use. The truth is that strength lies in the interior of the warrior: in his heart, his mind, and his spirit. The same applies to weapons. An excellently crafted weapon is incapable of acting of its own accord— it must be wielded. The extent to which a weapon is well crafted is based solely on the ability of the craftsman. The strengths and weaknesses of the materials used must be understood by the craftsman. A merchant, on the other hand, must rely solely on his ability to manipulate others into believing that his goods are the best. That is the Way of the merchant. The farmer knows when his produce is good and when it is inferior. That is the Way of the farmer. The warrior knows in his heart when he is correct in action and when he is issuing false bravado. All men are the same except for their belief in their own selves, regardless of what others may think of them.

      The supervisor on a construction job must assign tasks to his men according to their known abilities. Who is good at what specific aspect of the project? Who can lay floors, who can tile the roof, connect the drainage system? Should this not also be true for warriors? The warrior leader must understand himself before he can understand the realities of commanding others to do his bidding, especially when teaching is involved. Only when each soldier has been observed can the commander know which warrior will be able to perform a specific act. Otherwise, only chaos can result.

      The supervisor of a job should circulate among his men to appraise their strengths and weaknesses. He must praise them where they earn praise and admonish them when they do not fulfill the requirements of the job. But he must praise and admonish equally or there will be a loss of morale and the job may not be finished correctly. Likewise, a commander must walk among his men if he is to expect a certain level of performance. If he is unaware of the skills of each warrior, how can he know to whom to assign tasks? The commander must praise and admonish in the same manner. This is a virtue of strategy. Why would a commander want a spearman to join the line of archers?

      Even if there is tremendous spirit on the part of the spear-man, with no experience with the bow his best efforts can only be mediocre.

      WHAT THE WAY OF STRATEGY IS

      Awarrior is responsible for his own weapons just as a craftsman is responsible for his own tools. It is simply not possible to get good results without the necessary respect for one’s tools or one’s weapons. Time must be devoted to training, practicing, and maintaining one’s tools or weapons, however gifted a man may be. Each aspect of the craft must be examined over and over again without regard for time and energy spent, whether physically or mentally. The “spirit of the thing” is what will guide a man to his own greatness. There is no Way that can be approached and petitioned for immediate gratification. The Universe does not work that way. How could it and at the same time expect any perfection to develop? If you permit the spirit to permeate your being, the spirit will permeate through you by permitting you to be its instrument. When the warrior becomes skilled and understands his chosen weapons, when he cares for them with a sense of oneness knowing they are used to defeat enemies, he can be self-assured as a warrior. He can then become a commander. A craftsman must likewise understand the spirit of his tools. He must care for them as for his very own self. Only then can he meld with them to become the