Dokkōdō: The Way of Walking Alone

Stumbling around waiting for the coffee to kick in, I somehow came across the Japanese word “Dokkōdō“. Then… I wondered… If we got the news we had a week to live, what would we do with that?  While this isn’t all part of my personal belief system, there are some good ideas here and it’s not too different from several traditions in Western religion.

The “Dokkōdō” (Japanese: 独行道) (“The Path of Aloneness”, “The Way to Go Forth Alone”, or “The Way of Walking Alone”), is a short work written by Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵) a week before he died in 1645. list below

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