Miyamoto Musashi is regarded as the best swordsman in Japanese history, and one of the greatest warriors in history.  He was also a devout strategist.  Written during the week he spent preparing for his own death, a period in which he gave away most of his possessions, Dokkodo, or the Path of Aloneness, reflects Musashi’s thoughts on living a good life.

1. Accept everything just the way it is.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.
21. Never stray from the Way.

It’s hard to ignore how different this advice is from what we would expect to hear from our own parents or grandparents.  But it’s not surprising at all considering the duty based culture Musashi was birthed in.  Musashi’s culture did not fear death.  For that reason, in addition to others, there wasn’t the same emphasis on obtaining pleasure or relief during life.  The most honorable life you could live was one of service.  The more useful you could be to others, be it the emperor, or society at large, or simply an ideal, the more honorable and respected you became.  And honor and respect was something to cultivate as much for one’s family and ancestors as it was for one’s self.  Like modern parts of the Islamic world, failure to do the culturally acceptable  thing brought shame to one’s family, which was often worse than death.

Now, I think history shows quite clearly whose system is better for humanity in the long run. (Western culture put a man on the moon and is on its way to curing death.)  But that doesn’t mean there isn’t much to learn from a duty based way of life.  Not ironically, many of the most successful men in Western culture succeeded precisely by, more or less, following these rules. Nearly half of the above list embodies the basic principal of capitalism: forgo pleasure now in order to build capital for later.  Nearly a quarter of the list embodies the single most important trait for success: awareness.  Great stuff.

But, number one on the list is perhaps the most backward, depressing, authoritarianism-fostering piece of advice I could even imagine building a life, let alone a society, around.  So, as always, take of Musashi (and duty based culture) what you can.  There is a lot to offer.  But don’t become such an adherent that you lose the life that’s worth applying those principals to.