The 10 Rules Of Life, According To A Japanese Buddhist Teacher
Miyamoto Mushashi was a famous samurai warrior in feudal Japan. He was the author of a very famous work entitled The Book of the Five Rings . He is also well known for writing a list of rules of life two weeks before he died.
As a good oriental warrior, for Miyamoto the fight was much more than a fight. The samurai placed enormous value on personal evolution. This was precisely the means to become good fighters. The rules of Miyamoto’s life have survived time, just like the classics do, and they inspire us in many different ways.
They contain the wisdom of those who have lived with courage and based on noble causes. We have synthesized these precepts in ten guidelines that can invite us to an interesting reflection.
1. Acceptance, the first of the rules of life
The first of life’s rules is to accept life itself, just as it is. Acceptance does not mean resignation, but the ability to assume what surrounds us and what happens with humility and also objectivity. Life is what it is and an attitude depends on each one of us: that of learning from the circumstances that we have not chosen, but with which we have to live.
The consequence of not accepting reality is permanent suffering. This gives rise to an internal battle that is always lost. Accepting, on the other hand, leads to learning from each situation.
Likewise, and as a curiosity, it should be noted that this is undoubtedly one of the rules of life that has most inspired psychology. Studies such as the one carried out at the University of Nevada by Dr. Steven Hays, show us the influence of this philosophy in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
2. Think little of yourself and a lot of others
Whoever stops to think too much about himself ends up getting confused. Build a wall in front of the world and feed its insecurities. More than thinking about yourself, the right thing to do is allow yourself to be.
True happiness is in being able to serve others. There is nothing that compares with the satisfaction of doing good. Who is generous shows to be powerful too. This is ultimately what allows you to appreciate yourself.
3. Learn to let go of desire
Desire, understood as longing for what you don’t have, only leads to eternal dissatisfaction. Having is like a bottomless barrel. The more you have, the more you want and it becomes increasingly difficult to satisfy you.
Miyamoto, like many Orientals, fought to eradicate desire. Who longs for a lot, gets very frustrated. The real power is in the ability to resign. He who needs little is happy with little.
4. Avoid giving room for regret
Repentance causes a lot of suffering. The worst thing is that it is a useless feeling. So does Miyamoto see in the rules of life. He insists that we should not view error as a condemnation, but rather as a characteristic associated with our nature.
Every action we take teaches us something. It also changes us in some way. If it was done wrong, it leaves us a great lesson. That is why nothing that has been experienced is despicable. The important thing is knowing how to learn from it, enriching our background.
5. Eliminate complaints and resentment
The complaint only contributes to placing us in immobility. Nothing is gained with that look that focuses only on what does not seem right, on what hinders or hurts. Also torment those around us. It doesn’t make any sense because instead of moving into action, it ends up paralyzing.
According to the rules of Miyamoto’s life, complaints and resentment poison those who feel them. They are useless. On the contrary, they begin to damage other feelings that are positive like a plague.
6. Put aside items you don’t need
Objects influence our emotions and our way of seeing life. If we become too attached to them, they end up exercising control over us. They make our conscience less free.
This applies especially to things that we no longer need and that we still keep. They eventually make us more insecure and rigid people. That is why the rules of life insist on getting rid of the useless.
7. Don’t blindly follow the beliefs of others
One of the most relevant rules of life is to learn to think for ourselves, to maintain confidence in our criteria. Trust your common sense. Respect your own convictions and your own values. Otherwise, a person becomes very manipulative.
No one needs to be told what is right or what is wrong. We all have the ability to decide this for ourselves. Blindly following others only leads to betraying ourselves at some point.
8. Always keep your honor
Honor is an almost forgotten word. It has to do with self-love. By not allowing ourselves to fall into behaviors that are in dissonance with the values that we defend, in which we believe. They would constitute a kind of compass, giving rise to pride when respected against temptations.
Honor is the most precious asset of any person. Someone honorable inspires respect and consideration. Attract the goodwill and consideration of others, even enemies. This is how honor gives value to life; a value that is very intimate and personal.
9. Love should not be invaded by attachment
Emotions, in general, are impulsive responses. If they are reasoned, they become feelings. These are deeper and more weighted. They are associated with values and not with needs.
Love is an extraordinary feeling. However, sometimes we call a blind and fleeting emotion love. This occurs when what inspires love is the appetite for something or attachment. In those cases it harms rather than benefits.
10. Do not fear death
It is a fact, we are mortal. Life ends and this is a natural reality. We should not fear our own death or that of the beings we love. Thus, we overcome the fear of death by living life intensely.
The rules of life of Miyamoto have survived time for the great wisdom they contain and also for all that they inspire. They call for realism, humility and inner peace. They want us to focus on the essence and not on the apparent and inconsequential.
