MEDITATIONS: DOKKODO; THE WAY OF ALONENESS XIX.

Principle Nineteen

Respect Buddha and the Gods without counting on their help. (Miyamoto, Musashi)

Musashi Miyamoto’s nineteenth principle is probably simultaneously the most vital and most difficult.

Little interpretation is necessary to comprehend the prescription: man ought to respect whatever it is he holds as highest and most fundamental. In the Zen Buddhist context, amess with Shinto and Hinduism, that means the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and the myriad animistic spirits and polytheistic deities. In the Abrahamic context, that means God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. For the Secularly minded, this means the object universe and its ordering. In all cases, Musashi charges the reader to supplicate his own will when it comes into conflict with the wills of these divinities. Man ought to admire them, to aim to become more like them—while remembering that he is not them, not an infinite god but a finite man.

And at the same time as relinquishing control, Musashi charges us with taking all the responsibility into our own hands. It is this second element of his prescription which falls like the weight of sin on one’s shoulders. It is akin to saying, “Though fate is ultimately outside of your control, you are honor bound to think and behave as though it is. You cannot place blame or responsibility on anyone else, not even those infinitely more powerful.” For he thinks concepts through to their conclusions, there is something of a Zen koan within the nineteenth principle.

Yet, if one steps back from rationality and instead allows himself to think mythologically, the intrinsic contradiction vanishes.

If one honors the gods—“believes in them,” as it is often phrased in English, then he acts as if they are the embodiment of the highest values. Insofar as he keeps faith, therefore, he also seeks to embody the gods’ virtues; for belief means to act with integrity with what one thinks is true. This means abstracting the actions of the gods and putting them into practice: abstaining from vice; letting go of material and false sentimental attachments; forgiving enemies; sacrificing narrow self-interest for the sake of family and community; vanquishing evil when it proves itself to be unrepentant and recalcitrant. Think of the Buddha giving up his comforts and riches to seek enlightenment—only to give up Nirvana to return and teach others. Or think of Jesus who took on the sins of the masses, begging forgiveness for their ignorance that they might have the opportunity to see the light. In either case, the hero is not at fault for his own suffering nor for mankind’s, yet he takes it on himself as a duty by which he elevates himself and the community across time.

This is a most difficult task to manage. In life, men suffer inexplicably, and it is challenging enough not to shake one’s fist at injustice for one’s own sake. To not only resolve one’s own resentment but to also transmute bitter hatred into love requires discipline, self-knowledge, self-mastery, and a long-standing practice of cultivation. Old vices must be excised, one and at a time, while new temptations are resisted. At the same time, virtues must be cultivated. These are the powers by which the individual will can be persuaded to smile at God and the world despite one’s limitations. It is strength which provides coordination, control, and balance. A man with a weak core cannot hold himself upright on treacherous grounds or under stormy conditions.

And so it is that everyman should remind himself that it is not important if his suffering or reward is commensurate with his assessment of what is right or justified. He ought to say to himself daily, “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.” He ought to recall the words of Tsunetomo Yamamoto:

There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything. (Yamamoto, Hagakure)

Or he might recite the wisdom of Lao Tzu—

the universe that you perceive has always been here
and will be here after you are no longer present
to perceive it

because it gave birth to you and not the contrary to which you cling

…

you are only important if it is not important to you (Lao-tzu, Tao Te Ching)

—or even the lessons of Confucius:

What is meant by, “making the thoughts sincere,” is the allowing no self-deception, as when we hate a bad smell, and as when we love what is beautiful. This is called self-enjoyment. Therefore, the superior man must be watchful over himself when he is alone. (Confucius, The Great Learning)

Regardless of the source, humility and duty are at the heart of the pursuit of virtue—that is, the pursuit of harmony with the Way, the Truth, and the Light. One must recognize his place as one of mankind and choose it, or else he may never find it and instead lose himself in giving away his role to play in his own life.

Confucius and Mencius. The Four Books; The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, Confucian Analects, and The Works of Mencius, translated by James Legge, Andesite Press, an imprint of Creative Media Partners.

Lao-tzu. Tao Te Ching; An Authentic Taoist Translation, translated by John Bright-Fey, Sweetwater Press, 2014.

Miyamoto, Musashi. Dokkodo, translator unknown, 1645.

Yamamoto, Tsunetomo. Hagakure.