Lachlan Brown
We live in an age of constant striving. Do more. Be more. Hustle harder.
But what if the real wisdom lies not in pushing more, but in choosing better?
That question stayed with me after I first read Dokkōdō, a short list of 21 life rules written by the legendary Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi just days before his death in 1645.
Musashi wasn’t just a warrior—he was also a Zen-influenced philosopher who lived with extraordinary intentionality. His rules are spare, even austere. But beneath the simplicity is something profound: a roadmap for a life of deep focus, minimal regret, and deliberate effort.
As someone who’s studied both Buddhist psychology and the Eightfold Path, I immediately recognized how Musashi’s philosophy overlaps with the principle of right effort—not just doing things, but doing the right things for the right reasons.
This article isn’t just a commentary on Musashi’s rules; it’s an invitation to live with greater clarity, fewer distractions, and stronger alignment between your values and your actions.
Let’s walk through all 21 of his rules—grouped into four major themes—and explore what they reveal about living with right effort.
1. Let go of attachments
(Rules 1, 4, 8, 13, 18, 21)
1. Accept everything just the way it is
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world
8. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age
21. Be indifferent to where you live
These rules might sound extreme at first. Why reject good food, love, or even comfort in old age? But Musashi is pointing to a deeper truth: attachments cloud judgment.
When we cling to pleasure, reputation, or comfort, we start living reactively, not intentionally. Buddhism echoes this in its teaching on tanha—craving—as the root of suffering.
Right effort asks us to examine what we’re pouring our energy into. I’ve found that when I let go of chasing external validation or overthinking where I live or what I own, my focus sharpens. My choices become cleaner.
Detachment isn’t about being cold—it’s about being clear. And clarity is the soil where intentional action grows.
2. Master your mind
(Rules 2, 3, 5, 9, 12, 15)
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long
9. Do not regret what you have done
12. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need
15. Do not act following customary beliefs
These six rules are about inner discipline. Not the rigid kind, but the kind that keeps your effort from leaking out in a hundred unhelpful directions.
Musashi warns us against impulsive emotions, against regret, and against blindly following societal norms. He’s encouraging psychological independence—what Buddhists call viriya, or energy aligned with wisdom.
In modern life, so many of us act from habit or reactivity. We regret the past, follow trends, and confuse stimulation with meaning.
I’ve certainly caught myself scrolling out of boredom, eating to distract, or avoiding silence. Right effort means reclaiming that energy. It means staying connected to your why, not just your wants.
Musashi’s version of mental clarity may be radical, but it’s also liberating. It teaches us to notice what we’re reaching for—and whether it’s actually helping us move forward.
3. Live with integrity and purpose
(Rules 6, 7, 10, 14, 17, 19)
6. Do not envy
7. Do not be saddened by a separation
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love
14. Do not fear death
17. Do not regret what you have done
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help
Musashi’s guidance here is about emotional maturity and grounded action. Don’t envy. Don’t crumble in the face of loss. Don’t rely solely on divine help.
He’s not asking us to be stoic robots—he’s inviting us to act from a center of self-respect, not emotional dependency.
Buddhist psychology frames this as sīla—ethical conduct—and samādhi—mental discipline. Right effort flows from both.
In my experience, the more I live according to what I actually value, the less I feel tossed around by circumstances.
Musashi’s calm in the face of death wasn’t detachment from life—it was a result of living each day with completeness, so there was little left to fear.
There’s a certain calm that comes from knowing you’re acting in alignment. That’s where real power lives.
4. Walk your own path
(Rules 11, 16, 20)
11. Do not follow what others do
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor
These final rules speak to sovereignty of mind. Don’t imitate. Don’t collect more than you need. Don’t abandon your integrity—even under threat.
Musashi was fiercely independent, and in Buddhism, this aligns with the idea of becoming your own refuge—attadīpā viharatha.
When we mimic others or over-accumulate tools in the name of “preparation,” we often delay what matters most: action. In my own life, I’ve noticed how easy it is to get caught in learning mode forever—more books, more tools, more prep.
But Musashi reminds us: enough is enough. Use what works, and discard the rest.
Right effort isn’t about collecting—it’s about committing.
Mindfulness perspective: The archer and the target
There’s a Zen story I often return to when I think about Musashi’s Dokkōdō. A student once asked a master archer how he could hit the bullseye so consistently. The master replied, “The target is not the goal. The stillness is.”
It’s deceptively simple. In archery, as in life, the moment you obsess over the outcome, your hand trembles. You try too hard. You overshoot. But when you focus on your stance, your breath, the weight of the bow in your hand—when your attention is fully in the now—effort becomes effortless.
This is the heart of right effort. It’s not about forcing results. It’s about preparing the conditions, then releasing the arrow without attachment. Musashi lived this. His rules don’t obsess over winning or perfection. They emphasize stillness, discipline, and clarity.
In my own practice, I’ve found that when I stop chasing outcomes—when I commit to the moment, the process, the intention—what needs to happen tends to unfold naturally. Not always in the way I expect, but often in a way that brings more peace than striving ever could.
Mindfulness, then, isn’t just presence—it’s permission to act from alignment rather than anxiety. It’s living like the archer: steady, grounded, and ready.
Conclusion: A quieter kind of strength
Musashi’s rules won’t appeal to everyone—and that’s part of their power. They’re not concerned with being liked, admired, or even understood. They’re concerned with one thing: living with clarity and intention.
In an age where effort is often equated with exhaustion, Musashi offers a quieter kind of strength. One that doesn’t rely on noise, accumulation, or chasing. His Dokkōdō asks us to pare back, not pile on. To act from what is essential, not what is expected. And in doing so, to rediscover effort not as struggle, but as alignment.
If you’ve been feeling scattered or stuck, maybe the answer isn’t to try harder—but to pause, look honestly at what you’re doing, and ask: Is this where I want my energy to go?
Because when right effort takes the lead, life doesn’t just feel more meaningful—it is more meaningful.
Did you like my article? Like me on Facebook to see more articles like this in your feed.
